His Mother's Son
by Starquilter57
Summary: Sarek slowly learns to appreciate his son. A companion piece to Walking The Other Way. New Chapter, Interruptions III
1. Chapter 1

I don't own Star Trek!

His Mother's Son

From the time Spock was first born, Sarek had heard the same thing from everyone who knew them. It did not matter if the speaker was Terran or Vulcan. The phrasing might vary a little, but it all boiled down to the same thing. You could definitely tell who the boy's father was. There did not appear to be much of his human mother in him, except for the eyes. The eyes were all Amanda Grayson.

As Sarek knew, outward appearances can be deceiving.

The first time he noticed his son's resemblance to wife occurred when Spock was 15 months old. He was standing in the family room of their home on Vulcan, singing and dancing to an old Terran rock song. To protect his Vulcan dignity, Sarek had feigned shock and disapproval. Secretly he had been amused at his son's actions, so like Amanda's. Even now, the memory cheered him.

When Spock was three years old, the family had gone on a tedious diplomatic mission. They traveled to Joria on a high-velocity Vulcan ship, but it was called away for a rescue. The return trip was via a slower Federation starship. Sarek witnessed his son in action. The boy had his mother's charm and wit, practically taking over the ship, "wrapping the crew around his little finger." And he supposed, this is where his son's love of space and exploration had begun. For two years after that, Spock drew pictures of starships, read books about them, and even once talked his father into a visit to Starfleet Academy.

Sarek had taken this as a rejection of his Vulcan heritage, so he became very strict with his son insisting that the Vulcan way was the only way that would be tolerated in their home. Sometimes, he was ashamed to admit, he had even closed his eyes to the prejudice and brutality Spock had faced daily on his home world. All Vulcans were not bigots, but it was unfortunately true of many of those in power. They considered their xenophobia as merely the protection of their race and culture.

Sarek had once falsely believed that if Spock could prove himself worthy, all of Vulcan would treat his son with the respect he deserved. It was not so. Spock excelled in everything he put his mind or body to. It was all to no avail however, for his dual heritage was regarded as a "disadvantage".

Sarek felt anger and betrayal when Spock rejected his acceptance to the Vulcan Science Academy. He did not eject his child from his home, nor did he formally disown him. Sarek simply stopped speaking to his son. He made his disapproval clear.

It was not until sometime later that he realized that he also felt a certain sense of pride. Spock would make his way in a place where he would be evaluated on his own merits. Spock knew this would never happen at the VSA. He was not "cutting off his nose to spite his face."

Her son had inherited much from Amanda, her love of learning, language, and music. Amanda had left her home, fell in love with a man from another world, another species, making his home her own. Spock had her curiosity about the alien, the different. And in those rare moments when Sarek was being truly honest with himself, he realized his own curiosity for the new and the different had drawn him to Amanda in the first place.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own Star Trek, and I don't get any profit.

**Determined**

Amanda tried her best to reconcile Sarek and Spock, to no avail. Sometimes she cursed them both for their stubbornness. Her heart nearly broke in two when her eighteen-year-old son packed a bag and left the family home.

She wanted to run after him and beg him to stay, or at least accompany him to the shuttle port and bid him farewell. She did neither. She straightened his collar one last time and kissed him goodbye. Then she watched him walk out the gate and down the path. Afterward, she cried in her room for three days.

* * *

Sarek was angry at Spock, but not indifferent. He seemed to tune out Amanda's reports of Spock's progress at the Academy and his letters to her. In fact, he listened to every word.

Sarek was an important man in the United Federation Of Planets. So much so that Admiral Komack felt he had no choice but to keep the Ambassador apprised of Cadet Spock's academic progress and activities. That meant that Sarek got weekly, sometimes daily updates on his son. The source of these was usually Christopher Pike, Spock's academic adviser.

Sarek knew that his son had successfully challenged all the required course work for the first two years of study at the Academy within two weeks of his arrival. Komack informed him of Spock's physical prowess. He easily met all the fitness challenges save one, the swimming test.

* * *

Lt. Ives shook his head at the shivering, scrawny Vulcan kid in front of him. Spock had been staring at the pool for twenty minutes, trying to summon the nerve to jump in. To a Human, the water would have felt just right, as the pool was heated. No doubt it would feel cold to Spock, who already looked hypothermic in his Academy issue bathing suit.

"Look, son, you don't have to do this. We can give you a cultural exemption."

"I do not wish do have one. I will meet all of the Academy requirements for a member of a hominid species."

Spock was certain he would be able to do this. It looked so simple. Finally, he took deep breath and dove into the deep end. He sank to the bottom like a stone. His skeleton was denser than a Human's and he had a higher ratio of muscle to fat. Spock did not float. He attempted to keep his head above water, but failed miserably. Ives had to go in and pull him out. Spock ended up in sickbay with water in both lungs.

Ives pulled the kid's record and discovered that Pike was his adviser. He called the captain and let him know what happened. Pike sighed and headed over to sickbay.

"Okay, kid. This is what we're gonna do. We'll wait a few days until you're back to normal, then I'm gonna teach you to swim myself. We'll use the Christopher Pike no-fail method."

"You are certain that you can teach me, sir?'

"Absolutely. I've never had a student drown yet."

* * *

The swimming lessons were very strange. On the first day, Pike had Spock hold his breath and put his head underwater until he needed to surface, all the while timing himself. Spock could hold his breath for four minutes and thirty-seven point eight seconds. Next he had him walk from one side to the other in the shallow end, again timing himself. It took twelve point five seconds. Next, he had Spock walk the length of the pool, starting in the shallow end. When he reached the place where the water was up to his neck, he was to take a deep breath, submerge his head and keep walking to the far end of the pool, all the while counting the time. At the far wall, he was to jump up, grab the side of the pool and pull himself out. It took just under thirty seconds. Pike explained the logic of his method.

"If you are holding your breath, you can get yourself out of any place in this pool simply by walking on the bottom to the nearest edge. As long as you don't panic, you won't drown."

Spock met his swimming requirement five days later.

* * *

Sarek was proud of Spock's accomplishment. Most Vulcans never overcame their fear of water and drowning enough to swim. Sarek had only ever waded in waist-high water. Spock was brave and determined. He was also somewhat stubborn.

* * *

Sarek had expected his son to call home for money when he ran out. Spock had left with only a few hundred credits. He would need money to travel back to Vulcan for the semester break. Spock did not call for money nor did he come home. Instead, he got a job using skills Sarek had taught him. He hand -sanded antique wooden furniture in preparation for finish coats. He labored in the workshop attached to the woodworking supply store Sarek had frequently patronized. After five weeks, Spock had over two thousand credits and callused hands. The store owner told Sarek about it well after the fact.

The boy was serious about Starfleet Academy. Spock intended to make his own way without favors, even from his own father.

* * *

Spock had money enough, so surely he would come home for the summer break. Instead, he went to summer school at Oxford, paying for the classes by serving as an instructional aide for a Vulcan language course. During his second year at Starfleet Academy, Spock was an aide to the astrophysics instructor, while carrying almost twice the required course load and earning a PhD. in Phonology from Oxford.

When Sarek mentioned this to a colleague at the VSA, the man had simply stated "The Terrans must not have very high standards." Sarek was beginning to get a sense of the losing battle Spock would have fought on Vulcan.

* * *

Spock did come home the second summer, for all of three days, and only because he had been summoned. T'Pring wished to sever their bond. Spock had no objections. As it was clear she preferred another, it would be most illogical to compel her to remain bonded to him. Spock allowed Amanda to spoil him for a few days and then returned to Terra. He would be part of an away mission that would make Sarek prouder of his son than he had ever been.


	3. Chapter 3

Unlikely Hero

The USS Pasteur was a tiny Archer class research vessel. Spock was surprised and pleased when he was offered the opportunity to serve aboard her under Captain Pike for a six-week planetary survey mission. The crew would investigate the flora and fauna of three class M planets. Two of them would be colonized in the near future. The third already had some colonists who had "jumped the gun" and settled before they had Federation approval.

Three days after he returned from Vulcan, Cadet Spock donned his blue science uniform for the first time and boarded a shuttle for the Terran Spacedock. Once there, he quickly transferred himself and his belongings to the Pasteur. He discovered that he would have to share quarters with three others, which would give him little privacy for meditation. No matter, he would adjust. He had made it, achieved his dream of serving aboard a Starfleet ship in space.

It took three days at Warp One to reach Telonus V. They would also be investigating Telonus IV and III. Telonus I and II had been deemed unfit for colonization. Much of Telonus V was covered in ice, but there were some temperate zones around the equator. The teams cataloged over 18,000 new species of plants and animals while they were there. This was only a fraction of the rich and abundant wildlife, but a good start had been made for future teams to build upon. Aside from being constantly chilled, Spock had enjoyed the work very much.

Telonus IV had a much milder climate, and the plants were even more abundant. Spock identified fifty-seven plants with toxic properties that the colonists would need to avoid. Unfortunately, he also discovered the slug-beetles, which crawled up his shirt sleeve and bit him. He missed two days of the survey in sickbay recovering from an allergic reaction.

Tiny Telonus III was the planet where the colonists had settled "prematurely." They were a "pushy" lot and resented Starfleet's interference. One man in particular, Bart Klugg, went out of his way to make things difficult for the survey party. Bart ran the mess hall for the small colony. Most of the settlers lived in small family groups in temporary shelters. It was more practical for everyone to eat together in one place, as it conserved precious resources.

Bart did not like Vulcans, so he decided to make life hell for the kid doing the insect survey. Spock set up gridded areas some distance from the settlement. Every thirty minutes he would check each grid to estimate the population of each type of insect. Bart waited until the kid left his project unattended, and then deposited rotting kitchen trash in each of the grids. This drew thousands of insects, over running the grids. The numbers were meaningless and Spock's research was ruined.

Spock knew who had sabotaged his work. It was most illogical! Surely the man could see the benefit of knowing how many dangerous insects were in the area.

The colonists had frequently complained about the small, purple monkeys that lived in the area. They made noise, threw fruit, and they stole things. The settlers forgot to mention that they had stolen the site for their community from the "purple monkeys", as it was close to a source of fresh water.

Spock had observed the creatures, which actually came in three pastel shades, lavender, pink, and light blue. They reminded him of cotton candy he had once seen at the fair, or stuffed children's toys. He did not think they were monkeys at all, although they had long tails and human-looking hands and faces. There was something about them that seemed almost sentient. They used tools, rocks and sticks, and made what looked drawings in the dirt. The colonists called these "monkey graffiti." However, Spock was not an anthropologist, and Starfleet would not have allowed the planet to be colonized if the "purple monkeys" were actually people.

Bart didn't care for the "purple monkeys" any more than he did for Spock. In addition to being mean as dirt, Bart was also quite large, over two meters tall and at least 140 kilograms in weight. The pastel critters barely came up to his waist. When ever any of them came near, he would stop what ever he was doing and run at them, all the while yelling and banging on a pot with a spoon. The creatures would cover their ears and run.

If there was one thing Bart liked less than the monkeys and Vulcans, it was children. The colony's daycare center was next to the kitchen and the workers often brought the children outside to play in the relative safety of the clearing. Bart would give them the same treatment he gave the "purple monkeys" until the workers gave up and took the kids back inside.

One day, Bart went just a little too far. Two childcare workers were playing with a group of six children. A child needed a sweater, so one woman went inside to fetch it. A small band of "purple monkeys" had gathered at the edge of the wood, eating fruit from the trees. They were quite noisy and so were the children. Bart came out his kitchen door brandishing a broom and yelling. The toddlers began to scream. So did the "monkeys", however instead of running away, they carried off the children, snatching the smallest one from a very frightened woman. She ran to the colony leader, Floyd Hobbs, who appealed to Captain Pike.

"We want our kids back. If you don't help us, we'll take matters into our own hands and eliminate those damned nuisances once and for all. We claimed this planet fair and square and no critters are going to interfere with our plans." Hobbs shook the rifle he had been carrying for emphasis.

"Hobbs, you didn't get this planet "fair and square." You cheated. Starfleet had not actually given the okay for the planet to be settled, so we could have you removed at any time. However, I'm a generous sort, so my crew and I are gonna help you get your kids back."

Pike organized a team of ten, including himself and Spock. They broke into pairs and hid in the woods around the small clearing where the creatures seemed to live. After about twenty minutes, the furry little things appeared, the children still with them. They were all sitting on the ground. It looked like they were playing together.

Pike had taken Spock as his partner. He watched the kid study the situation.

The "purple monkeys" were feeding the children fruit and drawing pictures in the dirt with them. When one of the little girls started to cry, a large pink one patted her on the back, which seemed to comfort the child. The same creature pinched the tale of a smaller blue one when it got too nosy. The little one let out a yelp, so it was comforted too. The pink one was joined by two purple ones, who put their hands up to the pink one's face. After a moment, the contact was broken.

"Any thoughts, there, Junior?"

"Captain, I believe that they are communicating telepathically. These creatures may be sentient."

Pike was getting a headache now. If these creatures were sentient and not just animals, Starfleet would have a big problem on its hands. The colonists would have to be moved so they would not interfere with a developing civilization.

"Okay, Spock. How do we prove it and get the kids back?"

"I would like to try to communicate with them."

"How are you gonna do that, just walk up to them and say hi?"

"No, sir. I will get them to come to me."

"Okay, proceed, but be careful."

Spock knelt down on the very edge of the clearing. He picked up a stick and started drawing pictures in the dirt. After a few minutes, the same pink creature who had melded with the others approached him. Spock looked up, but did not stop drawing. He had made a solar system, a starship, and representations of bipedal hominids, large and small.

The creature studied him curiously and then returned to the others, touching the two purple ones again. There was noisy chatter, and the contact was broken. The pink one returned to face Spock, who now had one hand extended in front of him. They touched tentatively, and then the creature jumped back. Spock had felt a consciousness, sentience! The creature made contact again, and Spock felt a curious presence in his mind.

"_You are a person! We did not know. We only saw you communicate with your mouths, not your minds, so we considered you animals!"_

"_We are people, though not all can communicate with you as I do. We thought you animals because you did not speak. My name is Spock. I am a Vulcan, the others are called Humans. What do your people call themselves?"_

"_We call ourselves "people." My people call me Loo."_

"_I see. What do you call your world?"_

"_Kholouria"_

"_Loo, why did you take the children?"_

"_We thought the large, angry one would harm them. We sought to protect them."_

"_Their parents are very distressed. They did not understand your intentions. They fear you will harm the children. Would you not be distressed if someone took your small ones away? Would you please return them to me?"_

"_We would be very distressed if someone took our children without asking. I must speak to the other elders."_

Loo departed to speak with the elders. When she returned, she brought the children to Spock, putting the smallest one in his arms.

"_Thank you, Loo. I must take the children back to their parents, but I will come to speak with you again, if that is acceptable."_

"_I would like that, Spock. We would like to learn more about the people who do not talk with their minds. Please make our apologies to them."_

* * *

Spock did return to "speak" with Loo. He learned that the "monkey graffiti" was a form of written communication. The Kholourians had made repeated written requests for the colonists to leave. When they ignored these requests and did not respond to telepathic suggestion, the furry little people figured they would just have to put up with the nasty "animals" until they left. The Kholourians started stealing the colonists' supplies and noisily pelting them with fruit in an effort to make them go.

Spock put all of this information in a report which Pike forwarded to Starfleet Command. A larger ship was dispatched to move the colonists to Telonus IV, all except for Bart Klugg. He was dismissed from his position for nearly causing an interplanetary incident.

For his efforts in resolving what might have become a deadly situation for the Kholourians, Cadet Spock would receive a medal and a commendation.

* * *

Spock mentioned the Kholourian incident to his mother Amanda in his weekly subspace call to her. He did not make a big deal of the incident, as that was not the Vulcan way. It was just something he had participated in. Sarek, of course, was listening from his study. Amanda had begun to realize that he did this, and had the volume turned up just slightly louder than necessary.

* * *

The Federation had an on-going problem with colonists who would try to settle on a planet before it had been declared suitable. At the next meeting of the Federation Council, the Ambassadors discussed that very topic and what could be done to prevent it in the future.

Admiral Komack shared the story of Telonus III and how the actions of one Cadet S'chn T'gai Spock, twenty years of age and having just completed his second year at Starfleet Academy, had saved lives and most likely a culture.

The Andorian Ambassador Shras made a proposal that the young cadet receive a commendation. It was seconded by Krass, the Rigelian Ambassador, and adopted unanimously. No official mention was made of the cadet's parentage, but everyone knew he was the Vulcan Ambassador's son. When the day's business was concluded, Sarek received many congratulatory gestures. A comment made by Krass was the most meaningful.

"I have lived over two hundred and fifty years and sired twenty-three children. None of them has ever saved a civilization."

Sarek thought on this for a moment. As a diplomat with a career spanning over fifty years, he had assisted in the saving of several cultures, but not at age twenty while counting bugs and drawing pictures in the dirt.


	4. Chapter 4

Insert disclaimer of your choice here!

**The S'chn T'gai Algorithm**

Spock's first away mission had gone very well. He had proved to himself that his choice of a career in Starfleet had been the correct one. His instructors and superiors were all watching him with interest, liking what they saw. Amanda was proud of him, as always.

Spock had even finally made some friends. He and his roommate Pete had decided to room together again for their final year at the Academy. Prior to this, Spock had always had a new roommate every semester. Pete's childhood friend Fred was also a cadet, and the trio spent quite a bit of time together.

Spock took another heavy course load and wrote a doctoral thesis based on his design for an improved universal translator. He also served as an instructional aide for Vulcan language classes. A few days before his twenty-first birthday, he traveled to the University of Edinburgh and successfully defended his doctoral thesis. A week later, the semester at the Academy ended.

Spock had made plans to visit his Uncle Marcus in Minnesota, to spend time with his mother's family. The trip had to be canceled when he woke up drenched in sweat, shaking and feverish, with feelings of aggression and anxiety. Pon Farr! Spock had hoped that his hybrid heritage would spare him this misery, but it was not to be. He got himself together as much as possible and packed a duffel.

He rented himself a ground car and drove to a small cabin his parents owned near Sonoma. Spock spent over a week there in solitude and mediation, successfully passing through the "fires" alone. When the condition had passed, he returned to the Academy and immersed himself in his work on the universal translator.

* * *

Amanda had been upset with her son at first, he always had a reason not to visit with her family. However, when he contacted her via subspace, he had said that he was not feeling well. Sarek had observed the call from the doorway of Amanda's study. Spock looked feverish and when his hand trembled, he had quickly placed it behind his back. Sarek had hoped Spock would not have to go through this indignity common to all Vulcan males, but it had come. When the call ended, he took Amanda aside.

"There is no cause for anger. He is not well, my wife. It is Pon Farr."

"He is alone, Sarek. What will he do?"

"He is young. It will not be so intense this time. He will meditate and the fires will pass."

"Damn Pon Farr! Damn T'Pring!"

Sarek held Amanda while she cried for her son and his pain.

Amanda was resting when Sarek got the notification that Spock had used his access code to enter the Sonoma cabin. Sarek programmed the cabin's systems monitor to inform him of water and utility usage. He would be able to get a sense of his son's well-being without invading his privacy and send for help if it was needed.

For ten days, Sarek got reports of water being used in the bathroom and heat in the small bedroom. His son was alive. On the tenth day, the systems monitor informed him that Spock had left the cabin. A camera had recorded an image of a pale, gaunt Spock securing the door and leaving.

"Well done, my son, well done."

Sarek embraced Amanda and told her their son had survived.

* * *

The second term of Spock's final year began with a bang, literally. Spock rollerskated into a tree, knocking himself out. Ironically, the skates had been a gift from Amanda, who was weary of getting "next of kin" reports from the Academy Medical Center detailing her son's latest sports injury. Spock had a fondness for solitary pursuits such as rock climbing and hang gliding. His medical file was full of sprains and slight fractures. The medical staff had given him the nickname "Cadet Boo-boo" as a result of his repeated visits. Amanda had reasoned that her son could only fall so far and would inflict only a minimum of damage upon himself wearing knee pads and a helmet.

Spock, who had not yet adequately learned breaking skills, swerved to avoid a child and a dog that ran across his path. He hit the tree head first. A less than honest passerby relieved him of his I.D. and valuables, but called the police to report the injury. Spock was treated at San Francisco General Hospital, where he encountered his healer/doctor cousin, Sirin. Sirin had been declared "without logic" and had left Vulcan many years before. Spock's encounter with his nephew made Sarek anxious. He hoped Sirin would not prove to be a bad influence on his son.

Just days later, Spock was in a hospital again, having an emergency appendectomy. Sarek was on a diplomatic mission at the time, but Amanda managed to to travel to San Francisco and spend several days with her son.

When Spock was a teenager, he had complained to the family healer of abdominal discomfort after eating. T'Mena had been concerned that Spock seemed to have difficulty absorbing nutrients from his food, so she had sent him to the Vulcan Science Academy Medical Center to see a specialist. The specialist did not take the symptoms seriously, attributing them to the hybrid's "delicate constitution." He was really implying that he thought Spock was a hypochondriac. No further testing was done. Spock grew to a normal height, but he was perpetually underweight.

Amanda was angry when Spock's surgeon revealed that his enlarged appendix had irritated his intestines, causing his malabsorption issues. Sarek was nearly beside himself. It had taken a lot of persuasion and a great deal of money for the VSA geneticists to agree to engineer a Vulcan-Human hybrid. Unneeded structures such as an appendix, tonsils, and adenoids were to have been eliminated, along with a hereditary predisposition for a certain heart condition. Apparently the VSA geneticists had not done their best work.

Spock came through the surgery fine and within a few months reached a normal weight for the first time in his life.

* * *

The day would be a busy one for Sarek. He and Amanda were on Vulcan, in New Shi'Kahr. An elderly colleague, Tavosh, had passed away a few weeks before the end of term. Sarek had finished teaching his beginning astrophysics course and would administer the final exam that morning. In the afternoon, the VSA Admissions Board would interview candidates for the next term. As Sarek prepared to disconnect his comm link, two items captured his attention. Spock would be graduating from Starfleet Academy with the highest GPA and most credits ever recorded. He had also achieved a coveted assignment on Starfleet's newest research vessel, USS Discovery.

* * *

A very strange thing happened that afternoon as Sarek made his way to the Great Hall of the VSA. Half of his colleagues congratulated him while the other half seemed to look away in shame. He did not understand the reason for either reaction.

All became clear when his friend Seiken the Xenolinguistics Department head sat down next to him.

"My congratulations upon your son's success, my friend. This is a great achievement, especially for one so young. It will be a tremendous asset on diplomatic missions."

"Seiken, to what are you referring?"

"Why to the new and improved universal translator with the "S'chn T'gai Algorithm", of course."

"I still do not understand."

"You truly do not know? Your son has improved the universal translator, making it lighter and more portable, the size of a personal comm unit. It is also more sensitive to nuance and more capable of translating idioms."

Sarek was amazed but gave no outward sign of it. His son had done this wondrous thing! Spock never would have enjoyed the freedom or support to develop such an advancement had he entered the VSA.

* * *

Sarek and Amanda traveled to Terra in time for Spock's graduation from the Academy. Sarek would not attend the ceremony, as he had "diplomatic matters" to attend to. However, he had no objections to Amanda doing so. Amanda knew that Sarek was very proud of Spock, but felt that attending his son's graduation would be akin to an admission that Spock had chosen the correct path. Sarek was not quite ready to do that just yet. Amanda was ready to administer one of her stiletto heels to his stubborn backside, but she let it pass. She was going to enjoy the day with or without Sarek.

* * *

The graduation ceremony was a brief as could be expected for so large a class. Spock gave a short address that was mostly a thank you to those who had believed in him and supported him. Amanda beamed when Cadet S'chn T'gai Spock became Lt. J.G. S'chn T'gai Spock.

After the event, she took her son to his favorite Chinese restaurant for dinner. Then she issued an invitation.

"Spock, I know that you have two weeks leave before you report to the Discovery. Please spend part of it with me at the weekend house."

"Where will Father be spending that time?"

"What your father does is his own concern. I want to spend some time with my only child before he leaves on his big mission. If Sarek wants to act like a turd, he can go lie in the yard!"

That statement amused Spock. She had said it to Sarek so often that she now abbreviated it to "Sarek, go lie in the yard!"

"Alright, Mother. I will come for a few days. We will see what happens from there."

* * *

Sarek had spent the day doing "busy work." There was not one thing that could not have waited. In the afternoon, Syrol, the Embassy's Communication Specialist paid him a visit.

"I have a new device for your inspection, Sarek. This is the latest version of the universal translator, complete with the "S'chn T'gai Algorithm."

Sarek spent several hours playing with his new toy.

* * *

When Amanda returned to the Vulcan Embassy that evening, she informed Sarek of her plans to go to the weekend house in the morning and of her invitation to Spock. She also told him that he could come along with her or not.

* * *

In the morning, the Embassy driver took Amanda to the family's weekend home in a quiet residential neighborhood. Sarek had purchased the house as a retreat from prying eyes and the stresses of public life.

Amanda busied herself making her son a breakfast of scrambled eggs and hash browns. Spock appeared before she had finished and set the table, just as he had always done in his youth.

They had no sooner sat down to eat when Sarek appeared. He made no excuse or apology. He simply got himself a plate and silverware and sat in his usual seat. For his part, Spock acted as though there had been no estrangement between them. The elephant in the room would be ignored for the time being.

When they had eaten and cleared the table, Sarek pulled out his new toy.

"Tell me, my son, how did you achieve such improved function?"

"Father, I started by eliminating several redundant systems which...."

Amanda smiled at them and went out into the garden to tend her roses. The "S'chn T'gai Algorithm" was improving diplomatic relations already!


	5. Chapter 5

I don't own Star Trek and I don't make any profit.

**A Man Of Good Report**

Relations between Spock and Sarek were still quite strained. Sarek would speak to his son about his academic achievements and technological advancements, but not about his choice of Starfleet as a career. It was a dangerous occupation and Spock was the only child of his that Sarek had any contact with. For his part, Spock was not interested in having Sarek find him another bond-mate. And so the two still mostly communicated through Amanda.

It was harder for Sarek to get reports on his son's activities once Spock reported aboard USS Discovery. Apparently Captain Pike had other things he needed to do such as run a starship.

Spock had taken his mentor into his confidence as to the nature of his relationship with Sarek. Pike resented having to make reports to Komack behind Spock's back. Komack resented having to forward them to Sarek. The situation was ridiculous and illogical. Life would be so much simpler if the father and son mended the relationship.

Sarek still got reports. However, not as frequently, nor in as much detail as he had become accustomed to. Some of the reports were rather cryptic, and Sarek came to believe that details were omitted on purpose in an effort to irritate him.

* * *

About two months into Discovery's mission, Sarek received a message from Komack which was an excerpt from Pike's daily log.

"This afternoon, I successfully negotiated the release of Ensign Fred Lindner and Lt. J.G. Spock, who had been held captive by the Dulan priestess as a result of a minor cultural misunderstanding. Dr. Ames assures me that both young men will have no lasting effects from their forced depillation and that all their hair should grow back just fine."

Sarek had no clue that the Dulan had invited Spock's away team to a ritual that involved swimming. They were all issued the briefest of swimsuits by the temple adepts and told where to report for the festivities. The team who had made the first contact had not known about the Dulan culture's adversity to body hair. Spock and Fred were both fair-skinned with dark hair. The contrast was very noticeable and the Dulans were highly offended. The two young men were seized and given involuntary waxings on every centimeter of exposed skin below the jaw line. They were still smarting when Pike beamed down to negotiate their release.

* * *

Other times, Sarek would get reports with elaborate detail, too much information. He was certain the stories had been embellished to cause him discomfort. Such was the case with the "Spockasaurus Rex" incident, detailed in a personal message from Pike to Komack one year into Discovery's mission.

* * *

"Jim, the traditional log report just doesn't do this one justice. It's just too darn funny to not pass it along."

"Yesterday we completed a flora and fauna survey on Garreth VII, cataloging all manner of interesting wildlife. I put Lt. J.G. Spock in charge of one of the teams. The kid has a gift for finding rare, indigenous life forms. Actually, they usually find him. He and a team will run the usual grid search and then Spock will sit himself down under a bush or a tree and let the critters come to him. This time he discovered a new reptilian species, it looks just like a miniature dinosaur. It was quite taken with him and tried to follow him to the beam down point, even grabbed onto his pant leg. The rest of the team thought this was pretty funny and named the little critter "Spockasaurus Rex."

"Spock has a buddy, Ensign Fred Lindner, who was also on the away team. Spock and Fred are roommates. After Spock beamed back to the ship, Fred decided that "Spockasaurus Rex" might make a good present for his girlfriend. He hid the little critter in his gear and sneaked him into his quarters."

"Now Spock had had several long, hard, and stress-filled days, so he did what any good Vulcan boy does in such circumstances. He changed into his robes and lit his fire pot. He was sitting on the floor of his quarters meditating when "Spockasaurus Rex" escaped from Lindner's pack. The lizard saw his favorite person and lunged for him, knocking over the fire pot and setting Spock's robes on fire. The kid escaped with only minor burns and minimal damage to the quarters. The robes, however were a total loss. In the confusion, "Spockasaurus Rex" escaped. We had to do a ship-wide search for him. When he was found, he was quite a bit larger then when last seen. Dr. Ames discovered his cat was missing. "Spockasaurus Rex" was returned to the planet."

"Lindner's been disciplined and I have banned flaming devices of any kind from crew quarters. Lindner felt bad about this and replicated an antique Terran artifact called a "lava lamp" to replace Spock's fire pot. It's the weirdest thing, but I could stare at it for hours."

* * *

"Spockasaurus Rex" indeed! Sarek was somewhat annoyed by Pike amusement at his son's misfortune. He was also puzzled by Spock's choice of roommate. Surely there were other options. Lava lamp? Sarek would have to research this.

When then message ended, Sarek heard giggling. He spun his chair in the direction of the sound. Amanda stood in the doorway.

"So, my husband, how long have you been spying on our son?"

"I have not been spying on Spock, Amanda. I have merely been...concerned about his welfare."

"Okay, how long have you been "concerned about his welfare?"

"Since the day he left for the Academy. I get periodic reports from Admiral Komack."

"Which you have not bothered to share with me, Spock's mother. Shame on you! As I see it, you now have two choices. You can either speak with your son when I contact him tomorrow, or I can tell him what you've been up to."

"If I speak with Spock, may I continue to get reports from Admiral Komack?"

"Only if I get to listen to them, too."

* * *

Spock sat on the floor of his quarters, dressed in Academy sweats and staring at his lava lamp. It was not a fire pot, but there was something compelling about it. When he had closed his eyes and nearly found his center, the comm link chimed. The communications officer informed him that he had a call from his parents on Vulcan. He accepted it, puzzled. He usually only got calls from his mother.

"Good evening, my son. Your mother and I have not heard from you in some time. We trust that you are well."

"I am well, Father. I have been occupied with the mission. We have cataloged many new life forms lately."

"I see that you have a bandage on your arm. Have you recently been injured?"

"There was an incident in my quarters involving an animal and my fire pot....."

Sarek and Amanda listened as Spock told the "Spockasaurus Rex" story from his point of view, conveniently omitting the creature's nickname. The story had not been embellished at all.

From that time forward, Spock spoke with both his parents almost weekly. Sarek did not apologize to his son, nor was there any admission of wrong doing by either one. However, they talked to each other and Amanda was happy.

* * *

Sarek still got the occasional report from Komack.

"Come, my wife, there is news of our son."

Amanda hurried to the terminal and stood next to Sarek.

"Mr. Ambassador, the following video was recorded when the USS Discovery made a lay-over at Artemisia to assist earthquake survivors. Some of the crew used their off-hours to assist in a Homes For All building project. The team leader teaching framing techniques may look familiar to you."

There was their son in the midst of a group of Artemisian, covered in dirt, sawdust, and sweat, checking to make sure the wall they had just framed was square and level. He gave a thumbs up and the wall was raised and joined to another.

When the video had ended, Komack reappeared.

"I need to know one thing from you, sir?" Where does a diplomat's son learn to swing a hammer like that? We didn't teach him that at the Academy."

"I started teaching my son to use tools when he was three years old. Obviously he has learned those lessons well."

* * *

Spock gave the next bit of news to his parents himself. His two years aboard USS Discovery were over. He had accepted a teaching position at Starfleet Academy and been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. Sarek had hoped that his boy would have gotten Starfleet out of his system by now. He thought Spock should come home to join his father in the diplomatic service.


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own Star Trek nor do I profit from my writing. It might prove hazardous to my wallet to not tell you this!

**The Hazards Of Diplomacy**

Spock gave the next bit of news to his parents himself. His two years aboard USS Discovery were over. He had accepted a teaching position at Starfleet Academy and been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. Sarek had hoped that his boy would have gotten Starfleet out of his system by now. He thought Spock should come home to join his father in the diplomatic service.

Spock had hoped to be able to take his month's leave at the family home on Vulcan. He had only spent three days on his home world since departing for the Academy. However, Sarek and Amanda were currently on Terra and would be for several months. It really did not matter, as long Spock would spend some time with his parents. He could visit Vulcan another time. The planet was not likely to go anywhere.

* * *

Discovery arrived at the Terran Spacedock right on schedule. Spock took a shuttle to Starfleet Headquarters and walked to Starfleet Academy with his luggage. He transmitted his transfer orders to the Duty Officer's PADD and was referred to the Quarter Master. Once there, he received an assigned apartment in Bachelor Officer's Quarters.

A whole apartment to himself! Spock would miss Fred, but not the troublesome situations the young man sometimes got both of them into. Spock set himself up a meditation area in a corner of the living room. The end table was the perfect spot for his fire pot and incense holder. He put Fred's lava lamp on the coffee table.

Spock unpacked his clothing and hung it in the closet. He changed to casual civilian clothing, not wanting to offend Sarek by wearing his uniform. Spock checked himself in the full length mirror and was satisfied with the image. He left his quarters and walked to the public ground transport line. He got off at Union Square and transferred to the Hyde Street line, getting off a few blocks from his parent's weekend house. He could already smell Amanda's macaroni and cheese.

* * *

Amanda waited until Spock got through the front door before hugging him. Even though he pretended to not enjoy it, she stood on tiptoes and kissed his cheek anyway.

"Mother, really! Must you?"

"Oh, yes, sweetie! I really must. Besides, if you get any taller I won't be able to kiss you without a step ladder. Go wash your hands and set the table."

This was too much! At twenty-three, Spock did not need to be told to wash his hands. He gave his mother the "eyebrow."

"Don't raise that thing at me, young man! You're not too big to spank, you know!"

"You have never done so in the past, Mother. I fear it is a bit late to start now."

Amanda had just pulled dinner out of the oven and was still wearing oven mitts. As Spock bent over the sink to wash his hands, she smacked him on the butt.

"It's never too late to discipline a smarty pants."

Sarek stood in the kitchen doorway with just a ghost of a smile on his face. Their boy was home and sparring with his mother. Sarek had missed those amusing "battles" more than he had realized.

* * *

Sarek gave his son the "eyebrow" as he watched the boy put away his third helping of macaroni and cheese. Moderation was key to the Vulcan way of life and excesses of any kind were looked upon with disapproval. Sarek sometimes had to fight to remember that his son was half Human. He needed more food and more rest than one who was fully Vulcan. Spock was certainly not overweight!

Amanda shot Sarek a dirty look as she cut into the cherry pie and gave Spock the biggest piece. Through their bond, she gave Sarek a piece of her mind.

_I saw that eyebrow! Don't you start on his eating habits! This is probably the first non-replicated meal he's had in months. I made all his favorites and it makes me happy to watch him eat._

_As you wish, my wife._

"So, my son, you have reached the rank of Lieutenant. That is a great accomplishment. What do you plan to do next?"

"I have accepted a position as an instructor at Starfleet Academy. I will be teaching three courses the first term. Conversational Vulcan, Basic Romulan, and Introduction to Phonology. I have also been asked to help develop a programmed simulation which tests an officer's fitness for command."

"Those sound like challenging pursuits, especially the latter. However, I had hoped that you might join me in the diplomatic service. I was quite impressed with the manner in which you dealt with the Kholourians. Your skills would be quite an asset to our people. Young Shrelb has followed his father into diplomatic service."

Shrelb was the oldest son of the Andorian Ambassador Shras. Shrelb and Spock had known each other since childhood, often escaping tedious diplomatic functions in the company of a third friend, Hans Braun. Hans was the son of the Terran Ambassador to the Federation.

Spock did not think it wise to follow Shrelb's example in anything, not after the last time. There had been an unfortunate incident when the boys were around twelve years of age....

* * *

Ambassador Krass was preparing to give another of his long-winded speeches. The Vulcan Embassy was hosting a dinner in honor of Hooria's admission to the Federation. The diminutive Hoorian Ambassador had just finished her thirty minute speech.

While Shras was not looking, Shrelb slipped out the side door of the banquet hall. Hans left a few moments later, followed by Spock a minute or so after that. They met in Amanda's gazebo, each boy bringing with him a contraband treasure. The items they brought were harmless to members of their own species, but troublesome to one of the other two.

Shrelb had pocketed one of his father's Cuban cigars. Andorians did not contract lung cancer and had discovered that tobacco use was helpful in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer's disease in their species. Shrelb gave the cigar to Hans, along with a small, hand held device to light it.

Hans had removed a large bar of unsweetened Swiss baking chocolate from his mother's pantry. She bought the stuff by the case and surely would not miss it. Hans passed it on to Spock.

On his way to the gazebo, Spock had stopped in the kitchen of his family's residence and taken a bottle of Guiness Stout, which the family's Domestic Assistant T'Rysa purchased just for him. For a Vulcan, beer was merely a nutritious, grain-based beverage that had no added sugar. However, Spock did not drink the beer himself. He gave it to Shrelb.

With higher metabolic rates than Humans, Andorians could be quite sensitive to the effects of alcohol. This was particularly true of the young and the small. They absorbed it and processed it quickly. Andorian ale was a potent beverage. However, it came in small bottles and was meant to be sipped slowly. Shrelb chugged his Guiness.

Hans lit his cigar and inhaled, which resulted in coughing and wheezing. Though the smoke had begun to turn his stomach, Hans continued to puff away. His manly honor was at stake.

All Spock had known about chocolate up to this point was that Vulcans found it to be an intoxicating substance and that Sarek and Amanda would never let him have any. This seemed unfair, as Spock had often seen his mother buy chocolate and hide it in her purse. Spock did not know that large amounts of chocolate could prove toxic. He unwrapped the 250 gram bar with enthusiasm.

* * *

The Vulcan Embassy's Security Division was at full strength that night. There were many important diplomats at the dinner. It would not do to have any of them come to harm. Trevin, a junior member of the grounds keeping staff had been pressed into service as a security guard. He and T'Mys were patrolling the grounds around the Ambassador's residence. They had encountered nothing unusual until they neared Lady Amanda's gazebo. The sounds of someone being violently ill were unmistakable.

Trevin and T'Mys quickened their pace and turned on their torches. They recognized the Ambassador's young son Spock leaning over a rail and emptying his stomach contents into the rose bushes. Shrelb and Hans were lying on the gazebo floor, both too ill to speak.

"They have been poisoned!"

"Let us not jump to conclusions, Trevin. You fetch healer T'Mena and I shall remain with the boys."

T'Mys was the mother of three sons, all of whom were less well behaved than Spock. She surveyed the gazebo, observing the beer bottle, chocolate wrapper, and the extinguished cigar. T'Mys gathered all the "crime scene evidence" and then sat on a bench and waited for T'Mena to arrive.

* * *

T'Mena disliked diplomatic functions and was somewhat relieved to be summoned away from the table. However, she grew concerned when Trevin told her he suspected the children might have been poisoned. She quickly made her way to the gazebo.

* * *

Shrelb was beginning to feel better, having purged most of the beer from his stomach and metabolized any alcohol that remained in his system. He was sitting on the bench next to T'Mys when T'Mena and Trevin arrived. Hans was sitting up, but Spock was still bent over the railing.

T'Mena examined the evidence and reached the same conclusion. There had been no foul play involved, just ill-advised juvenile experimentation. She sat down on the other side of Shrelb.

"The Terrans have a saying, "Confession is good for the soul." Perhaps you might prefer to tell me what happened rather than your fathers."

Shrelb swallowed hard.

"It was my idea. My older cousin is always telling me how much fun it is to drink beer. My father doesn't allow it in our home. Spock's always having a beer with his afternoon snack. Hans has always wanted to smoke, but his parents wouldn't let him. My dad has plenty of cigars. Spock wanted to try chocolate but didn't have a way to get it on his own. Hans' mom keeps a lot of it in her pantry."

"I proposed a three-way swap. We each got the items we needed without attracting any attention. Then when old Ambassador Krass started his boring speech, we sneaked out to the gazebo and made the trade. We didn't know it would make us all sick."

T'Mena looked over at Hans, who nodded his agreement, as did Spock before he began another round of the dry heaves.

"Very well. T'Mys, there is no poisoning involved here. We do not want the other guests to become panicked. I believe that you report should read that the children became ill when something they had ingested disagreed with them."

"Yes, Healer, I believe that that would be best. We do not wish to have a diplomatic incident."

"Would you please have the Lady Amanda meet me in the Ambassador's residence? Tell her that Spock has taken ill, but it is not serious."

T'Mena gave Shrelb a sports drink to rehydrate him and Hans a mint-flavored tablet to settle his stomach and help cover his cigar-breath. She sent them back to their parents and then gave Spock a hypo to ease his symptoms. When she was satisfied that he was up to it, she escorted him to his bedroom.

Amanda arrived just seconds later.

"T'Mena, why is Spock ill?"

"Something he ate has disagreed with him. I recommend bed rest and a liquid diet for the next two days. He should be fine afterward."

When T'Mena had gone, Spock confessed the entire story to his mother. She sat on the bed and held him close to her.

"You are not angry with me, Mother?"

"No, Spock, my love, I'm not. I think you've suffered enough. Thank you for telling me what happened. I will ask you to make me a promise, however. The next time you eat chocolate, only eat a small piece, and eat it with someone you love. Also, I don't think that we'll mention just what you ate to your father."

* * *

"So, Father, what is Shrelb's role in diplomatic service?"

"He seems to have a gift for trade negotiations."

As Amanda stifled a giggle, she and Spock exchanged knowing glances.

"Father, I appreciate the fact that you would like me to work along side you. However, I have made a commitment to Starfleet and I feel remaining there would be a positive career move."

"Provided you survive your career."

"Father, diplomatic service also has its dangers."

"That is true."

Just five months before, Sarek had been held for ransom....

* * *

The only diplomatic missions more volatile than peace negotiations were trade missions. The Federation was always in need of dilithium to power many of the necessities of everyday life. The member worlds simply did not produce enough to meet the ever-growing demand.

Erdrusia was a recently colonized world, a territory belonging to the Jorians. Sarek had dealt with the Jorians nearly twenty years before. He found them to be entirely devoid of emotion, almost android in their demeanor. The Erdrusians were different, a splinter group that had left Joria to seek an "alternative" lifestyle. Sarek had no intelligence on what that might mean. The only details he had were of the planet's rich supply of dilithium.

As Amanda had no pressing duties to attend to, she accompanied Sarek on his mission.

Queen Viella, the Erdrusian leader invited them to a banquet. It soon became clear that their "alternative" lifestyle was one of hedonism. Joria had been a culture devoid of color, taste, texture, or pleasure of any kind.

Viella was fascinated by Amanda's wardrobe, her accessories in particular. Amanda always wore scarves, earrings, and nail polish. Viella wanted those items for herself.

So near the end of the banquet, she confiscated Amanda's most precious possession, Sarek, to see what the woman might trade to get him back. Her guards took him to a secure cave while Viella began negotiations with Amanda.

"My Lady, you must decide what you would be willing to give me as ransom for your mate."

"Would Queen Viella permit me to return to my ship to see what resources I have available? Perhaps you might then join me for tea in two hours time?"

"That would be acceptable."

The rest of Sarek's party escorted Amanda back to the small vessel they had traveled in. While Amanda sorted through her inventory, Sarek's assistant Skar tried to come up with a back-up plan to free the Ambassador.

Viella waited and wondered what treasures she might gain from her treachery. Perhaps Amanda might part with some jewelry or those fabulous red shoes that displayed her painted toenails. Some of that nail paint might be lovely.

The two hours passed quickly. Amanda made a display of her jewelry and accessories. None of it was valuable. She always left the family treasures at home. She made a pot of tea and spread some peanut butter on crackers. Peanut butter was Sarek's favorite Terran food. They never traveled anywhere without it or his favorite saltine crackers that came packed in metal tins. One never knew when they might be forced to set down on a planet with inedible food! Amanda had no more finished her labors when Skar brought Viella to the tea party.

Viella sipped her tea and munched on crackers while Amanda modeled her various "treasures". In the end, Sarek was ransomed for about ninety credits worth of costume jewelry, a pair of red stiletto sandals, six scarves, two bottles of nail polish (red and orange), a tin of crackers, and four jars of peanut butter.

That evening, as he lay in his wife's arms, reading a PADD outlining his new trade agreement, Sarek expressed his disapproval on one point of Amanda's.

"My wife, did you have to give her all our peanut butter?"

Amanda reached under the bed and pulled out two full jars of peanut butter and a jar of chocolate hazelnut spread.

"I never said that was all of our peanut butter. I just allowed her to believe that."

* * *

Sarek considered his son's words. There were hazards in diplomacy. He would press the boy no further on the issue for now.

A/N:

Thank you Gwen Kathleen for the story idea about naughty little Spock and his friends!


	7. Chapter 7

I still don't own Star Trek, the canon characters, and I still haven't made any money. You'd think that I would learn to write something that paid. I guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks!

**Learning To Teach**

It had all started out so well. Spock had enjoyed three weeks to prepare his lectures before the fall term started. His superiors had been impressed with his preliminary work on the Kobayashi Maru test and asked him to teach a computer programming class as well.

Amanda had come to visit him in his new quarters a few days before the term began, bringing him some plants to give the place a more homey feel. She made him model the charcoal gray instructor's uniform that had been ever so carefully tailored. It made the most of his broad shoulders and flat stomach. There was no doubt about it now. Her beautiful baby boy had become a handsome young man. Amanda could imagine more than one young lady having the "hots" for the teacher!

"Spock, are you all ready for your first day of classes?"

"I believe so, Mother. I have previously served as an instructional aide for all of the courses I will be teaching. I expect that Basic Romulan will be the most challenging for me to convey to my students. Many of them will have already studied the Vulcan language and the similarities can be deceptive."

"I'm sure that you'll do just fine."

* * *

The early morning Introduction to Phonology class could not have gone better. It was filled with first and second year cadets planning to be Communications Officers and Engineers. Spock managed to hold their attention and the students asked meaningful questions that were pertinent to the topics being presented. On the whole, Spock was quite pleased.

Basic Romulan was much as Spock had predicted. Most of the students in this class had completed Advanced Vulcan with another instructor. The Romulan language had its roots in Vulcan, as the two cultures had separated millenia ago. The alphabets were similar and many words seemed identical, but their pronunciation and usage varied. However these students were primarily Communications majors and eager to learn. The group was small and the first class went better than Spock had expected.

The Advanced Computer Programming class nearly made Spock smile. He had fifteen students who worked nearly independently, the brightest minds at Starfleet Academy. Some of their questions even challenged him.

The Level One Conversational Vulcan class was a nightmare. Starfleet Academy required every cadet to learn a second language. Many students had signed up for the entry level class merely to fulfill this requirement, not really wanting to be there.

Spock's first lecture was not exactly fascinating. He explained Vulcan grammar and sentence structure. While his voice had more inflection than the average Vulcan's, most Humans perceived it as a monotone.

The language lab sessions later in the day did not go much better. These involved a lot of one-to-one conversation with students. Spock was still awkward in his personal interactions. A few students grew annoyed with his teaching techniques and transferred out of his class.

His drop-out rate was higher than average, which concerned Dr. Peng, the head of the Xenolinguistics Department. This resulted in Spock being called in for a meeting. Peng suggested a few changes Spock might make and had him sit in on some Bajoran language classes taught by a well respected colleague.

Things improved somewhat, but Spock was still frustrated. He wondered if he had been promoted beyond his ability. It was not logical. One born on Vulcan should be able to teach the language to others! His Terran-born mother was able to teach both English and Federation Standard with no trouble.

His mother, what a valuable and overlooked resource! Spock began to make frequent calls to Amanda.

She made suggestions that when implemented, completely changed the dynamic of his student-teacher relationships.

* * *

It was just after dinnertime on Vulcan when Spock called his parents. Sarek was reviewing a trade agreement, so Amanda answered the comm unit.

"Greetings, Mother."

"Hi, sweetheart. How are things going?"

"My Vulcan language classes are frustrating. I do not always seem to get through to my students. Many have difficulty hearing the different sounds and pronouncing them properly."

"Spock, the Human brain works differently than the Vulcan one. It is much more difficult for Humans to learn languages after puberty. It can be done, but few post-adolescent Humans ever learn to speak a new language as well as a native speaker."

Sarek had been listening, so he commented on this.

"That is quite true, my wife. Even after all these years on the planet, there are still some Vulcan words you can not pronounce correctly. Yet most Vulcans understand you quite well."

"So you are both implying that effective communication is more goal-worthy than perfection."

"That is exactly so, my son."

"Another problem I am having involves students who already had some knowledge of the language, but were taught improperly."

Amanda laughed at this.

"I remember a certain young lad who had to unlearn a few things before he went to school, because of his parents bad habits."

Sarek recalled this as well, with amusement.

* * *

Spock's first language had been "V'English," Amanda's word for the family's peculiar mixture of Vulcan and Midwestern English.

It had started out innocently enough. Sarek and Amanda had agreed that they would speak Vulcan at home, so that Spock would have no language difficulties when he went to school. However, it became convenient to speak to each other in _**Amanda's native language**_ when they discussed things they did not want Spock to hear.

Sarek recalled one conversation in particular. Spock had been a very curious toddler who liked to take things apart. On the day in question, he had disassembled a music player and a PADD loaded with Amanda's lesson plans. For good measure, he had also uprooted several of his mother's prized houseplants.

Amanda was cleaning up piles of potting soil and muttering under her breath when Sarek came through the door.

"I assume by your demeanor that Spock's behavior was challenging again today."

'Oh, yes, my husband, quite challenging. Our cherished offspring, _**your son, **_ had another day of exploring boundaries.__The dear_** little monster**_ was a one-child demolition team. _**He plucked my last nerve...**_

This procedure back-fired, as the curious child quickly mastered English, wanting to know what his parents were saying. As his conversational skills grew, he would substitute a Vulcan word for an English word he did not know and vice-versa. It took many hours of tutoring by both his parents to break him of the habit.

* * *

Spock thought about his mother's statement that Humans learned languages more easy as children. He remembered that at age two, his mother taught him the ABC song, a simple recitation of the letters of the English alphabet set to the tune of _Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star_. He had to admit that whenever he needed to alphabetize something, he would hear that song playing in his head.

There was no Vulcan alphabet song, but there was a counting song entitled _Ten Lost Sehlats_. The tune was simple and repetitious. Spock sang the symbols of the Vulcan alphabet to it and was pleased with the results.

The next day, he took his ka'athyra to class and taught the song to his students, along with _Ten Lost_ _Sehlats_. It was apparently a big success, as he heard the songs being sung in the corridors later.

Spock also remembered the power of rhyme and visual aids to reinforce childhood learning. As a child, his favorite ABC book was Dr. Suess' ABC: An Amazing Book. He had enjoyed the cadence, the illustrations, and especially the made-up words.

…...."BIG F, little f, what begins with F? Four fluffy feathers on a Fiffer-feffer-feff".....

Spock was not a poet, but he also recalled a Terran children's program he had seen which featured a different letter every day. That he could do. From then on, Spock chose the Vulcan alphabet symbol of the day and brought an item to class that represented it.

The students began to enjoy the classes, and Spock began to enjoy teaching them.

* * *

The weekly calls to his parents continued. They could tell that their son was both content and challenged by his work. Sometimes he even talked about his most promising students. Spock often mentioned one name in particular, Cadet Uhura.

Cadet Uhura executed a flawless translation. Cadet Uhura got a perfect grade. Cadet Uhura could pronounce all the Vulcan dipthongs and syllabants.

Though he did not say so, it was becoming obvious to his parents that Cadet Uhura had done something else remarkable. She had stolen Spock's heart.


	8. Chapter 8

Don't own Star Trek, not making any money!

**Cadet Uhura**

He had noticed her the very first day. She sat in the front row of his Introduction to Phonology class. It was his first lecture as an instructor at Starfleet Academy and her first class as a cadet. Cadet Uhura was eager to learn and her insightful questions were evidence of an organized and logical mind. Spock hoped he would have many more students like her.

Spock almost could not believe his eyes when she turned up in the front row of his Basic Romulan class. All the other cadets were in their third or fourth year. Yet she had no difficulty at all, in fact she was able to carry on a simple conversation with him as a demonstration in front of the class.

Cadet Uhura made a third appearance that day, this time in his Level One Conversational Vulcan class. The first lecture had been an embarrassment, as he had nearly bored his students to tears. Several of them dropped his class the first day. When Cadet Uhura showed up at his office late that afternoon during the hours he had posted for students, Spock assumed she had come to opt out of the class as well.

Spock kept his office door open when he was available for conversation. He was sitting at his desk trying to figure out where his teaching technique had gone wrong when he heard a knock.

"Lieutenant Spock, may I speak with you?"

"Yes, Cadet Uhura. Please come in and have a seat."

As she sat in the chair across from him, he caught her scent, a mixture of spices, sandalwood, and something else very pleasant Spock had never detected before. And though she sat in a very lady-like manner with her legs crossed at the ankles, Spock could not help but notice those very attractive legs in those tall black boots. Somehow it made him uncomfortable.

"Sir, I would like to take the proficiency test for the Vulcan language requirement. I studied with a Vulcan teacher in secondary school and believe that I am ready for a more advanced class at the Academy."

"Very well, Cadet. When would you like to do this?"

"Sometime tomorrow, if possible. That way I will only have missed one lecture of the advanced class."

"Would 0800 hours be acceptable?"

"Yes sir."

"Meet me in the Language Lab at that time, then please."

"Thank you, sir. I'll be there."

Cadet Uhura rose and left his office, her high, black ponytail swaying behind her and her hips gently doing the same. The image lingered in Spock's mind just as her scent lingered in his office. Cadet Uhura was a fascinating creature. When Spock attempted to clear his mind through meditation that evening, she would not leave his thoughts. He found the situation uncomfortable but intriguing.

* * *

Cadet Uhura arrived at the Language Lab promptly at 0755. Spock administered the standardized test, on which she achieved a very high score, high enough to place her in the Fourth Year Vulcan class. She proved to be the most advanced student there. By the second semester, Cadet Uhura was taking graduate level language classes in Vulcan, Romulan, and Klingon.

* * *

By the third week of his first semester, Spock's teaching techniques had greatly improved. His students were enjoying the classes and Spock enjoyed teaching them. Dr. Peng realized that Spock had been given quite a lot of responsibility for a first time instructor, so an Instructional Aide was assigned to him. Lt. J.G. Paolo Angelli was in his last semester, a Communications Specialist. Spock found him quite helpful, if a bit overenthusiastic. His Vulcan and Romulan grammar were faultless, though his pronunciation frequently left much to be desired. Still, Paolo was adept at grading student assignments, which helped free up some of Spock's time for lesson plans and outside activities.

Cultural differences and a busy schedule were not the only obstacles Spock faced while teaching. The units in the Phonology Lab supposedly represented the bridge Communication Station on a starship. However, they were at least five years out of date.

Starfleet Command had ordered another communications equipment upgrade for all of its ships. By the time this current group of fourth year cadets graduated, the new installations would be in place. Starfleet expected him to prepare the cadets, but he had nothing to demonstrate the modifications on for them. There were only pictures and a video of how the new consoles should work. How were Spock's students supposed to learn their jobs without access to the types of equipment they would be expected to use? Dr. Peng had tried to explain this to the Budget Committee several times, always to no avail.

When Spock made his weekly subspace call to his parents, Amanda could sense his frustration.

"What's wrong, sweetie?"

"Why would you think that something was wrong, Mother?"

"You're wearing your annoyed faced, with your brows drawn together so that they almost touch. You father does the same thing."

Sarek was listening as usual, indignant that his wife would suggest that his expression sometimes displayed emotion. Yet, as he passed the mirror in the hallway, he noted that his brows were drawn together in just the manner she had described.

Realizing it was pointless to try to conceal anything from his mother, Spock explained the situation with the Phonology Lab.

"Spock, when was the last time a member of the Budget Committee set foot in your lab? Maybe you should take a few pictures or a little video of your own. Your department head could then show them to the committee side by side, illustrating the differences between what the cadets will be expected to use and what they are learning on now."

"Mother, that is an excellent idea."

Amanda often had such ideas. She was much more subtle than Sarek. Just last summer, the patio of the Ambassadorial Residence in San Francisco had been invaded by termites. Despite the best efforts of the Maintenance and Groundskeeping staffs, the beasts soon got the upper hand. A professional was consulted, who recommended demolishing the wooden decking and replacing it with pavers.

The Ministry of Finance, however, saw this as an illogical luxury item and refused to approve it. Several weeks later, the Finance Minister, Stoovik, came to meet with Sarek on another matter. He was invited to dinner, where he and Amanda discussed their mutual interest in gardening. Stoovik admired roses, but could not get them to grow well on Vulcan.

"Minister Stoovik, I have several different varieties of roses growing around my gazebo. Perhaps you would like to see them."

"Indeed I would."

"Please follow me."

Amanda led him out of the dining room, through the kitchen, and across the patio. Humans have much lighter skeletons than Vulcans. Stoovik was a very large Vulcan, a head taller and more heavyset than Sarek. When he stepped out onto the decking, the bug-infested wood gave way, causing him to injure his ankle.

The repairs to the patio were approved the following day.

* * *

It turned out that Paolo was also an amateur photographer and more than willing to help Spock with his pet project. He took many still images of the Phonology Lab and the cadets hard at work there. The quality was very good and Paolo was quite pleased with himself. He printed several out and took them to Lt. Spock for his approval.

Spock was also impressed with the images' quality. However, one was somewhat unsettling to him. It was a picture of himself and Cadet Uhura. She was seated at her console and had just asked him a very insightful question, smiling charmingly while awaiting his answer. That smile had beguiled him, causing him to take several seconds longer than usual to formulate his response.

It was not the Cadet's smile in the photo that disturbed Spock, but rather his own slight one in response to her. It was also clear that Spock was staring at the Cadet's legs. Spock placed the photo in his briefcase, to be taken to his quarters later.

In the Phonology Lab that afternoon, all the players kept as closely to the script as possible. They repeated the scenario on the training recording from the communications equipment manufacturer almost word for word. The cast of characters were two attractive young people, an instructor and one of his brightest cadets. The instructor was holding a paper-bound manual and reading a procedure aloud to his student.

".....which should facilitate the tracking of enemy communication signals when there are interferences such as weaponry fire. Cadet Uhura, please engage the new module and calibrate it."

"I am unable to comply with your order, sir."

"And why is that?"

"There is no such module on my console."

* * *

Dr. Peng was beside himself when he watched Spock and Angelli's little video.

"Gentlemen, that might just do the trick. Thank you. It so happens there is a meeting of the Academic Board tonight. Several of the members are also on the Budget Committee. I'm going to scrap my planned presentation and show this instead, along with the training video."

* * *

Admiral Archer was outraged when he saw Dr. Peng's presentation.

"Why don't these kids have upgraded consoles to train on?"

Admiral Nogura tried to explain.

"Johnathan, there are budgetary issues involved here. The senior staff can train the junior ones once they get out to the fleet."

"Right. And until they're trained, they'll just have to hope they don't have to use the new console while on duty. Or, I guess the senior staff can pull lots of extra shifts while training the newbies. That way, no one is at their best. That's unacceptable. Didn't we get a prototype console gratis when we bought the upgrade?"

"I think so."

"Well, find the damn thing and get it installed in the lab. Fleet communications officers can also be using it for training when the students aren't. I suggest we find the money for six training consoles for the Phonology Lab. Maybe we could stop having donuts at staff meetings."

The prototype console "magically" appeared in the Phonology lab two days later. Six more had been purchased to be installed over the semester break.

* * *

After deleting all the classified portions, Spock sent a copy of his little production to his mother. She watched it several times before Sarek came home for dinner. When she heard him enter the house, she called him to the terminal.

"Sarek, you have to see this" Amanda said as she pressed the "play" button again.

They watched together in silence.

"Ah...so that is Cadet Uhura!"

* * *

Toward the end of the first term, a small, independent theater near the Academy was showing the epic film, The Braves Of T'Khut, based on a saga written before the time of Surak. It was dubbed with Federation Standard subtitles and might be of interest to his students. Spock proposed it as a field trip to his department head, Dr. Peng. They would attend a Sunday afternoon showing so that no classes would be missed. Peng approved it and secured transport for thirty students.

Cadet Uhura and her roommate Gaila were among the first to sign up for the outing. The slots filled up quickly, as the students were eager to see the film. It had been produced by Vulcans, filmed on that planet, and all the actors were Vulcan. Most of the students expected it to be incredibly boring, but it would be a part of Vulcan culture they had never experienced before. At the very least, it would get them off campus for a few hours.

* * *

Spock and Paolo assembled their charges in front of the Communication Science building, making sure they had an accurate head count as the students boarded the transport. Spock was the last one on the bus, and took the only available seat, next to Henri Bouchard and behind Cadet Uhura. There was that wonderful scent again, oh so very distracting.

When they arrived at the theater, Spock made certain all of his students sat together in a group, a difficult task as they insisted on visiting the concession stand. Spock did not understand the Human need to partake of snacks while viewing a film, but Paolo assured it was a necessary part of the experience. He took a seat at the end of a row, again next to Cadet Uhura.

The film was very violent, and those who produced it had taken great pains to insure its realism. Near the end, when some of the warriors were executed by beheading, it might have been a little too realistic. Several of the students became ill, including Cadet Uhura and her roommate.

Spock and Paolo delayed the group's return to the Academy while the indisposed students cleaned themselves up in the restrooms. When they were finally all together and aboard the transport, Spock gave the signal for the driver to depart.

The ground shuttle was old and the streets between the theater and the Academy were not well-maintained. The bumpy ride upset the already queasy stomachs again. The driver pulled over so that the students could exit and finish emptying their stomachs.

Poor Cadet Uhura was not having a good time. She tried to keep her hair out of the way while vomiting in a ditch. Spock observed her difficulty and went to assist her, holding her long braids back until she was again feeling better. In the process, one of the gold beads from her hair had slipped off into his hand. Spock intended to return it to her, but she re-boarded the ground shuttle as quickly as possible, clearly embarrassed. Spock placed the bead in his pocket. When he returned to his quarters that night, the bead was still there. He removed it, inhaling the lovely scent of whatever product Cadet Uhura used on her hair. Spock could not bring himself to return the bauble. Instead, he placed it in the bottom of his sock drawer, next to the photo Lt. Angelli had taken.

* * *

The term was ending in two weeks. Spock needed to find a replacement Instructional Aide as Paolo was graduating and had been assigned to the Farragut. There was no doubt that he would make a fine Communications Officer. Spock penned a very complimentary evaluation to be appended to the young man's record. He also wrote a posting for the open position, along with a description of the minimum qualifications and required duties.

Three days passed with only four cadets applying for the job. Though he knew that two of these were unsuitable, Spock gave them an interview anyway.

Cadet Chalmers never seemed to get his own assignments turned in on time. How could he be expected to assist Spock in promptly grading papers and projects?

Cadet Haust always turned her work in far ahead of schedule. Her essays and projects were nearly a thing of beauty, the Vulcan grammar so precise. However, her pronunciation was among the worst Spock had ever encountered. She would be a liability in the Language Lab.

Henri Bouchard was one of Spock's favorites, a well-rounded student who excelled at almost everything he tried. However, Bouchard was like Spock in that he liked to cultivate multiple options. Shortly after his interview, he informed Spock that he had been hired as an Aide to the Klingon instructor.

Though it was highly unusual for a first year cadet to be chosen as an Instructional Aide, it was not without precedent. Cadet Uhura was the most qualified of the three remaining applicants. Her diction and grammar were nearly flawless. She had also just taken first prize in a translation competition usually won by fourth year cadets studying at the graduate level. Cadet Uhura was the only logical choice.

Spock contacted the other two candidates, informing that a selection had been made. However, he summoned Cadet Uhura to his office to give her the news in person. The smile she gave him was both disturbing and delightful. Spock had no name for the physical and emotional responses she brought about in him.

* * *

Spock sat at his desk with his lunch, posting final grades for the semester. He was looking forward to a weekend spent with his cousin Sirin and his family, a birthday celebration for his two-year-old nephew. When the task was completed, Spock decided to place his weekly call home to Vulcan.

* * *

Amanda had just pulled the casserole out of the oven when the kitchen terminal informed her of an incoming transmission from her son. She still had her hands full, so Sarek answered it.

"Greetings, Father and Mother."

"Greetings, my son. Was your search for a new Aide successful?"

"Yes, Father. I have found a most worthy replacement for Lt. Angelli."

Amanda was interested to hear what her son had to say and joined Sarek at the terminal.

"So, are you going to tell us who you picked, or just leave us hanging?"

"I would not do such a thing, Mother. My new assistant is Cadet Uhura."

His parents said nothing out loud.

_This is fascinating, my wife._

_This is big trouble, my husband!_


	9. Chapter 9

I don't own any of it, nor do I get paid!

**Cadet Uhura II**

Spock had just informed his parents that his new Instructional Aide would be Cadet Uhura. After a few silent seconds, with his parents talking to each other through their bond, his mother finally spoke.

"Well, it must be a relief for you, Spock, to have such a qualified helper. I'm sure she will ease your work load."

"That is my hope, Mother."

The family chatted for several minutes about Spock's plans for the upcoming weekend. He was going to Lake Tahoe with his cousin Sirin and his family. They would celebrate little Jason's birthday and Hanukkah.

"Be sure to dress warmly in layers, dear. Tahoe is cold at this time of year."

"Yes, Mother. I know this. You need not concern yourself on my behalf."

"Spock, I'm your mother. Worrying about you is part of my job description."

Spock shook his head at her.

"Most illogical."

"Boy, are you ever your father's son!"

**************************************

"My wife, why do you think that having Cadet Uhura as his aide will cause Spock "big trouble?"

"Sarek, when he talks about her, his eyes twinkle. He gets the same look on his face as he did when he played with model starships as a child. I'm sure you recall where that lead."

Sarek did indeed recall his son's obsession with starships, one that still persisted and had dictated his choice of career. However, Cadet Uhura was a living, breathing person, not an object. Spock's interest would be of no use unless it was reciprocated.

****************************************

Cadet Uhura stopped at Lieutenant Spock's office to see if he was still there. She had taken three classes from him this semester and was hoping to know her grades before she left for Africa. Ah, good. His door was open and his light still on. She hurried to catch him before he left, dropping her bags in the hallway.

"Lieutenant Spock, might I have a moment of your time?"

"Certainly, Cadet. How may I help you?"

"Sir, I was wondering if you had posted grades yet. I am taking a class at the University of Nairobi over the break, and the instructor has a minimum GPA requirement."

"Surely you were not concerned, as you have achieved the highest grades in all three of your classes with me."

The cadet lowered her eyes, and Spock could sense an increase in her body heat. He was uncertain if she was embarrassed or merely too warm in her heavy coat.

"Actually, sir, I was a bit nervous. Both you and Dr. Bowen have high expectations."

"You are taking a class from Dr. Lois Bowen?"

Spock tried to keep his voice level. Dr. Bowen had written a very famous text on the evolution of spoken language. Spock had always wanted to study under her, but the chance had never arisen.

"Yes, sir. Do you know her?"

"No, but I have studied all of her works. I was most impressed with her treatment of the Rask's-Grimm's Rule, which as you know explains pronunciation changes over time in Proto-Indo-European Languages. I just downloaded her latest article on the subject this morning."

"The one from Xenolinguistics Review Letters? I haven't had a chance to read that yet and it's on her list of requirements for the class."

"I would be honored to loan you my copy."

Spock handed Cadet Uhura a PADD, not Starfleet issue, but one of his own.

"Thank you, sir. I'll take good care of this. Oh, I have to run before I miss my ride to the shuttle port. Have a good holiday. I'll see you the week before term begins."

"Until then, Cadet."

Spock stood by his desk for a moment, then walked swiftly to his window. Cadet Uhura ran across the campus, burdened with luggage, and her hair swaying in the breeze. There were those strange sensations again, the ones Spock only felt in her presence. She had also left her scent in his office. Though it was illogical, Spock closed his office door in an attempt to preserve it as long as possible.

**************************************

One might say that Spock had been bitten by the teaching bug. He enjoyed watching the transformation that occurred in a cadet when he or she truly understood what they were learning. Spock also knew that knowledge was power, so he strove to make his students as powerful as possible.

Spock recalled that as a cadet, he had greatly enjoyed a lunchtime seminar on Orion language and culture given by Dr. Peng. Students working at different levels were able to participate. Spock decided to offer a seminar on Vulcan language and culture, three times a week at lunchtime, starting with the new term. Students would be welcome to bring their meals with them. He set the class size at twelve. It came as no surprise to him that Cadet Uhura's name was first on the list. Spock had secretly hoped that she would be interested in the class.

Spock shared Vulcan poetry with his special twelve, both pre-Surak and post. He brought them honeycakes and Vulcan teas to sample and taught them songs he had learned as a child. He found filmed versions of Vulcan literature to show them. However, he always cleared these with Cadet Uhura first, just to be certain that they were not too upsetting.

The seminar students were a studious and sedate group, well-behaved enough that Spock contemplated taking them on a special outing. The Vulcan Embassy's Antiquities Museum usually did not give group tours. This happened only by special favor. However, Spock was certain that being the Vulcan Ambassador's son might earn him such a privilege. His parents were currently residing at the Embassy, so he contacted them to see if it could be arranged near the end of the term.

Sarek was very proud of the museum. He had arranged for most of its collections to be transported to Terra. Many prominent Vulcans had disagreed with this idea initially, but Sarek believed that it would help foster cultural understanding. However, the Vulcans guarded their treasures zealously and few people knew of the museum outside of diplomatic circles.

Both Sarek and Amanda agreed that Spock's students were just the sort of people who ought to be allowed to view the collections. Arrangements were made for them to get a guided tour early on a Sunday afternoon. Suddenly Amanda had flash of brilliance.

"Honey, after the tour, why don't you bring your cadets to the formal dining room? They will be my guests for high tea."

"Mother, I would not wish to impose."

"Spock, it is not an imposition. I wish to do this. A Vulcan high tea would be another culturally enriching experience for your students."

"Thank you, Mother. I am certain that they will appreciate it."

Spock and his parents bade each other farewell and ended the communication.

Sarek stood looking at his wife for a moment.

"Cultural enrichment, my wife?"

"Okay, so you caught me. It's a sneaky way to get to meet Cadet Uhura."

********************************

Lt. Spock had informed his seminar group that the occasion called for dressy, but modest civilian attire. He hoped that a certain female Orion cadet would get the message and not reveal too many of her attributes.

As Spock scanned his own wardrobe, he realized it too was sadly deficient in appropriate attire. He had outgrown his favorite jacket and his two dress shirts and one pair of black trousers were looking a bit worse for wear. Her mother had taken care of such things for him in the past, but at twenty-four years of age, it was high time he learned to dress himself.

On his next free Saturday, Spock took a trip to the shopping center not far from the Academy. He had admired an outfit worn by one of his students, Henri Bouchard, at a Xenolinguistics Department mixer. Spock had worn his gray instructor's uniform but was the only one there so attired. Henri referred him to a modestly priced clothing store, Harlan's, where the staff would help a person put together a whole ensemble for a modest fee. This was just the type of assistance Spock needed.

Harlan's was packed with customers, as it was the Saturday before Mother's Day. Spock put his name on the waiting list along with his comm data. He could walk around, visiting nearby shops while waiting his turn. Feeling a bit hungry, he went to the food court, only to run into Cadet Uhura and her friend Gaila. The food court was also crowded, so after Spock got his salad and tea, he asked if he might join them at their table. They agreed to this, of course.

Gaila toyed with her straw and smiled at Spock flirtatiously.

"So, Lieutenant, what brings you here?"

"I am planning to purchase clothing and am waiting for my turn at Harlan's"

Nyota gave Spock an appraising glance. Black jeans, black boots, shirt and sweater also black. If anyone needed a stylist, if was definitely Spock. The monotone look made him seem taller, thinner, and paler than he already was, though it also gave him a certain mysterious sexiness.

Nyota chided herself.

"Oh, girl, you should not think of your teacher that way."

"May I ask what brings you ladies here today?"

"Oh, we've got appointments at Harlan's ourselves, but not for an hour. Nyota and I were going to get some ice cream after we finish our salads. Would you like to join us?"

"Only if I pay for the ice cream. It would only be proper, as I have invited myself to your table."

Nyota gave Spock a wide grin.

"Thank you, sir. We'd appreciate that."

The two girls got chocolate cones while Spock got a dish of peanut butter ripple. The three of them sat on the edge of a circular fountain in front of Harlan's. Gaila decided to snap a picture for her scrap book, first of the trio and then one of Spock and Nyota. There was something about the way the two of them looked at each other, as though they were the only two beings in the universe.

Spock was just finishing up his ice cream when he got the page from Harlan's. He bid the girls farewell.

Gaila began to giggle.

"What's so funny?"

"Girl, you've got it bad for Mr. Tall, Hot, and Vulcan."

"Gaila, shame on you. He's our teacher."

"Yeah, our very young and sexy teacher. Admit it, you're attracted to him. You're giving off pheromones!"

"Okay. I admit it. I think Lt. Spock is hot, not just his body but his mind, too. Happy now?"

"Yes, I am."

Gaila was not the only one pleased by this admission. Spock had heard every word.

***************************

T'Allia was pleased with this group the Ambassador's son had brought with him. They were polite, stayed together, tastefully attired, asked pertinent questions, and most importantly, they did not touch the exhibits. Some even took notes. Most often, her tours were given to diplomats' families, complete with unruly children.

When T'Allia finished her tour and lecture, she escorted the party to the formal dining room in the Embassy's main building. Lady Amanda welcomed each of her guests warmly. Most of the students were surprised to learn that not only was this lovely Terran lady the Ambassador's wife, but also their instructor's mother.

The table was beautifully set for a Vulcan high tea, although Amanda had insisted on using place cards. Their hostess sat at the head of the table, with her son to the left and Cadet Uhura to her right. A place next to the Cadet read _Ambassador Sarek_, who would join them as soon as his duties allowed.

After about ten minutes, Sarek arrived and took his place at the table. Spock had been correct in his assessment of his students. They were all charming young people, one particularly so. Sarek found himself somewhat impressed with the intelligent and poised Cadet Uhura.


	10. Chapter 10

I don't own any of it, nor do I get paid!

**Cadet Uhura III**

Sarek found her charming, intelligent, and erudite, even in a tongue not her own. She had a firm grasp of Vulcan idioms and culture. Amanda had been correct about Spock's affection for the young woman. He watched her when he thought no one was looking. However, Spock seemed unaware that Cadet Uhura watched him in exactly the same manner, the way Amanda used to watch Sarek when they were employee and employer.

The situation, of course was awkward. She was at once both too young and too old for his son. Chronologically, Cadet Uhura was only three or four years younger than Spock. She might live another 120 years should no calamity befall her. However, Spock might live another 220 years. It pained Sarek to think of his son losing a mate, just as it pained him to know he would likely outlive Amanda.

There was also the issue of inappropriate conduct, what the Academy would term "fraternization," should an instructor and his student aide decide to pursue a romantic relationship. If they were caught, it could cost both of them their careers.

However, Sarek did not believe that such a relationship yet existed. He and Spock had already endured many stresses to their familial bond. For the time being, Sarek would remain in the background and allow his son to determine the course of his own personal life. Initially Sarek had sought to find Spock another bondmate, but eventually he realized Vulcan bigotry might make it impossible. It was likely that no Vulcan female would want his hybrid son, no matter how outstanding his accomplishments.

A wise Terran sociologist had once theorized that what could be considered normal for any given person depended largely on the circumstances in which that individual was raised. Though Spock had grown up in Vulcan society, his mother was Human. A Human mate would be a logical choice for him, much more logical that it had been for Sarek.

* * *

Amanda watched them both, aware of the attraction between them. The beautiful and accomplished Cadet Uhura was everything Amanda had ever wanted for her son. However, the timing was all wrong. She worried that the two young people could get into serious trouble, should they decide to acknowledge and act upon the chemistry between them. For the time being though, things seemed to be under control, so Amanda would mind her own business.

* * *

It was the custom among Starfleet Academy instructors to reward their aides with a meal out or similar celebration at the end of the term. Spock had taken Paolo Angelli out for a night of pizza, beer, and pool. Both had enjoyed the outing very much. Spock was fascinated by the endless combinations of force and trajectory that would produce successful shots. Paolo quickly taught him the game, much to the chagrin of a pair of Andorians. The gentlemen in question learned a valuable lesson about trying to hustle Vulcans. Spock and Paolo each left the pool hall several hundred credits richer.

However, Spock doubted very much that Cadet Uhura played pool. He knew that she liked music and was in fact an accomplished singer. She was a graceful young woman with good taste. Perhaps a concert or the opera would be appropriate.

The Vulcan Embassy always bought season tickets for the San Francisco Opera. These were for elegant box seats, appropriate for entertaining visiting diplomats. Spock's parents often made use of this perk, but few of the other Embassy staff did. Perhaps there were some available tickets. He would contact Amanda and ask.

* * *

"Greetings, Mother."

"Hi, sweetie. Is anything wrong? You don't usually call this often."

"Nothing is wrong, Mother, though I do need a favor. Are there any opera tickets available for this weekend?"

"So far as I know, no one will be using the box at all. Do you have a hot date?"

"Certainly not. It is an Academy tradition to reward one's Instruction Aide with some type of evening out. I believe that Cadet Uhura would enjoy the opera."

"I expect that she would. Spock, do you have romantic feelings for Cadet Uhura?"

"That would be highly inappropriate, Mother."

"That's not what I asked."

"No, Mother, I am not in love with Cadet Uhura."

Amanda let the matter drop. Either Spock was in denial or he was protecting his heart. While Spock had held no affection for T'Pring, her rejection had been painful none the less.

Amanda was certain Spock had been in love once, with a young Betazed woman he met while posted on the USS Discovery. They had known each other less than two months when she was killed in a tragic accident. Afterward, Spock withdrew into himself for a while, unwilling to become involved in any new emotional attachments.

Then he met Leila Kalomi, a botanist, while on leave in San Francisco. Leila was sweet but too clingy. She wanted more from Spock than he knew how to give. She needed him to be what he wasn't, emotional and physically demonstrative. The ideal man for Leila would have been a Human with pointed ears.

* * *

Spock had been meditating on his mother's words. In truth, he found Cadet Uhura very attractive. He had secretly been pleased when he overheard that she was attracted to him as well. However, several Humans had found him attractive over the years. Others were merely curious about him, as they would be about the latest zoo specimen. Usually Spock could tell the difference, but not always.

* * *

Captain Pike was again teaching at the Academy, Military History, with a an emphasis on tactics and strategy. He invited Spock to his simulation lab to see the holographic mock-up of the Battle of Aboukir Bay, Napoleon's naval defeat which ended his expedition to Egypt. While Spock was there, Pike introduced him to Lt. Kelly Schoonmaker, who had programmed the simulation.

Kelly had heard about Spock and his work on the Kobayashi Maru test. She knew that he was a Vulcan-Human hybrid, considered to be a genius, more intelligent than most full-blooded Vulcans. She invited him out for tea to discuss "fuzzy logic" programming, a way of allowing for the input of imprecise data without causing a system crash.

Their talk had been stimulating, so Spock asked Kelly out for lunch. She accepted and they seemed to be getting along well together. Kelly had made no demands on Spock. She seemed to genuinely enjoy his company. She also agreed to have dinner with him the following Saturday night.

Spock often met his mentor Captain Pike at O'Malley's Pub on Friday afternoons. It was close to the Academy, and the two would enjoy a pint of Guiness together, unwinding in preparation for the weekend. They even had a favorite booth, in the back near the corner.

Kelly Schoonmaker was so engrossed in her chat with some friends that she didn't see them slip in.

"So Kelly, how many times have you gone out with Lt. "Hot Stuff?" He's pretty cute, isn't he?"

"Tomorrow night will be the third time, Enid. Yeah, he is beautiful to behold, but not all that interesting. I'm just biding my time until he makes a move. I'm dying to know what lies below, whether his "equipment" is Vulcan or Human."

Pike froze in mid conversation. If he had heard that, Spock certainly did.

The young Vulcan rose from his seat.

"If you would excuse me, Captain."

Spock stood in front of Kelly's booth and cleared his throat.

"I believe that you will find the information you are seeking in Hydeiger's Anatomy And Physiology Of Bipedal Species, p. 1189, diagram 4. As this will satisfy your curiosity, I see no reason for us to continue our association."

Spock returned to his booth and his beer, leaving Kelly and her friends in stunned silence.

The following Monday morning, Pike informed her that she had better find herself a new assignment for next term.

* * *

Final exams were over and Spock had turned in the grades for all the classes he taught. He hurried to his quarters to shower and change. When he had done so, he stood before the full length mirror, satisfied with his image. Spock cut a dashing figure in black trousers, gray tweed jacket, and a charcoal turtleneck. His appearance would not embarrass Cadet Uhura.

Spock had borrowed a ground car from his cousin for the occasion. He parked in front of the cadet's dorm and went inside, easily finding her quarters. He rang the buzzer.

"Who is it?"

"Lt. Spock."

"Just one moment sir."

Thirty seconds later, Cadet Uhura opened the door, a vision in a dress of peach colored lace, her hair loose about her shoulders. She wore gold earrings set with pearls. Spock had never seen anyone look so beautiful in his life. And her scent! He had never encountered another one like it.

Spock raised his mental shields and offered the cadet his arm.

"Shall we?"

"Yes sir."

* * *

Spock had chosen the restaurant carefully, French cuisine in keeping with the opera they would be enjoying later. _Chez Antoine _came highly recommended by several of his colleagues and offered many vegetarian options. Both Spock and Cadet Uhura spoke French fluently, impressing the staff. While they waited for their _ratatouille_ and _salade nicoise aux pois chiche_, Spock thanked her for all her hard work.

"Cadet Uhura, you have performed all of your duties beyond my expectations, greatly lightening my workload. I am most grateful to you for this and pleased that you desire to continue our association for the fall term."

"Thank you, sir."

"I have also sent a letter to Professor Patel at Oxford, recommending you as his Instructional Aide for the summer. I know that you applied for the position. The young man who was selected for it has become ill. Professor Patel contacted me to check your references. I once held such a position myself."

Cadet Uhura was now blushing, her increased body heat releasing more of that marvelous scent. Spock's thoughts began to stray to the attractive way her hand held the water glass. Mercifully, their food arrived, calling him back to reality. They finished the meal with _clafoutis aux cerises_ and proceeded to the opera house with all due haste.

Cadet Uhura was unfamiliar with the evening's presentation, _La belle aus bois dormant_ by Michele Carafa, an adaptation of the Sleeping Beauty tale in three acts. Spock had never heard the fairy tale, so the cadet summarized it for him during an intermission. All too soon, the opera ended and it was time to return Cadet Uhura to her dormitory.

The fog had rolled in from San Francisco Bay, bringing cold air with it. As they walked to the car, Spock noticed that Cadet Uhura was shivering in her thin dress and shawl. Ever the gentleman, he gave her his jacket, which she gratefully accepted. Once in the vehicle, she thanked him again for the wonderful evening. He thanked her for her company.

When they reached the Academy grounds, Spock again offered Cadet Uhura his arm and walked her to her dorm room. After she returned his jacket, they bid each other farewell for the summer and parted.

As Spock put his jacket back on, he realized that it had become infused with Cadet Uhura's wonderful scent. He hurried to his quarters, hanging his jacket in his closet and shutting the door.

All that summer he thought of the cadet each time he opened his closet.


	11. Chapter 11

I still don't own 'em!

**Nyota**

The summer passed slowly for Spock. He taught one summer class on sound wave amplification and modification, and took two post-doctorate seminars at Stanford. He exercised outside frequently, as the weather was warmer. Weekends were spent with his cousin Sirin and the family.

Spock found his thoughts often drifting to Cadet Uhura, wondering how her work study program at Oxford was progressing. He had her personal comm information and many times considered contacting her. However, each time he began, he would stop himself, as he had no logical reason or pressing need to speak with her. Also, such a communication might be construed as inappropriate, or fraternization.

And so Spock waited for the summer to end. At least he tried to.

One week before Cadet Uhura was to return to the Academy, Spock sent a list of changes in his course syllabi to her personal account. These were not major alterations, they certainly could have waited until her scheduled arrival on campus one week before the start of fall term.

However, sending the amendments produced the desired effect. Cadet Uhura contacted him immediately, wanting to discuss each change in the most minute detail.

"Lt. Spock, it would probably be best to compare our schedules in person so we can make any needed adjustments."

"That is a most sensible suggestion, Cadet Uhura. Perhaps we could meet for lunch when you return to the Academy."

"That sounds fine, sir. I return on the 24th, so how about lunch on the 25th?"

"That would be most satisfactory. Shall we say 11:30 in the Instructor's Dining Room at the Academy?"

"Yes, sir. I look forward to it."

"As do I, Cadet. Spock out."

* * *

Monday, August 25th was a rainy day in San Francisco, but it did not dampen Spock's mood. He dressed in his charcoal instructor's uniform and spent the morning reviewing the student rosters for his upcoming classes. He noted that there were three Hoorians in his Beginning Conversational Vulcan class. Spock would need to arrange for booster seats in the language lab to accommodate their small stature. Or, he could assign the task to Cadet Uhura and then have an excuse to meet with her to check on her progress.

Spock scolded himself over that thought and engaged in a brief meditation to clear his mind. When he had restored both calmness and logic, he put on his raincoat and walked to his meeting with Cadet Uhura. She was already there, and treated him to a brilliant smile when he entered her line of sight.

"_T'nar pak sorat y'rani._"

"_Tnar jaral._" Spock returned her greeting.

"Cadet, thank you for meeting me here."

"You're welcome, sir. I've been reviewing the changes you have in mind for the course. I think these are really good ideas. However they'll necessitate changes in how much time the students spend in the Language Lab. We'll have to have more hours available for them with either you or myself on duty. There will be times when we'll both need to be there."

"I find your suggestion agreeable, Cadet."

In fact, Spock found the prospect of spending more time with the lovely cadet quite agreeable.

* * *

Spock had never socialized much as a cadet. He never seemed to fit in, and sometimes his presence made others uncomfortable. Spock was often uncertain how to behave in unstructured situations and would seek out a quiet corner rather than interact with his classmates.

There were only a few that he had been at ease with, his roommate Pete, Pete's girlfriend Helena, and their friends Fred and Petra.

Spock's shyness had persisted as he was assigned to Discovery. After two years spent in close quarters with a mostly Human crew, Spock had come out of his shell a bit. However, he still had a long way to go and continued to avoid any social gathering he considered to be unnecessary.

Unfortunately, Dr. Peng, the head of the Academy's Xenolinguistics Department, was a party animal. He liked to throw gala events and he expected his subordinates to attend them. Spock had managed to skip both the Halloween and Christmas parties his first year as an instructor, but the second year Peng cornered him in his office and informed that his presence was required and that he needed to be in costume.

Spock had been annoyed that he was being be forced to attend, but finally resigned himself to his fate. At a nearby costume shop, he had purchased a black mask, "do-rag", and a fake sword with scabbard. He dressed himself all in black, choosing from items already in his closet, even donning a pair of black faux leather gloves. He really did make a dashing "Dread Pirate Spock".

Nyota and Gaila had recently attended a performance of _The Pirates Of Penzance_ and thought it would be great fun to dress up as pirate wenches. They rented costumes with short skirts, low-cut blouses, and shiny black boots.

Spock had put in his required appearance and was just about to leave when the girls arrived, fashionably late. They made quite an entrance, especially Nyota in those shiny, black boots with silver buckles and stiletto heels. Spock could not take his eyes of them.

Nyota could not tear her eyes away from the tall, lean figure in black. Only his eyes and the lower half of his face were visible. That was enough, though for her to recognize him.

As they were both masked, Nyota found herself feeling somewhat brave. She approached the buccaneer in black.

"Would ye care ta dance, me hearty?"

When would he get such a chance again? Both he and the cadet were masked. Other instructors were also dancing with students. It seemed acceptable behavior in this circumstance.

As a diplomat's son, Spock had taken a few dancing lessons. He could do the waltz, quickstep, foxtrot, and even a modified tango. The latter was simply ridiculous, something developed specifically by a dance teacher for Vulcan diplomats. Gloves were worn and touching was almost nonexistent.

Gloves! Spock's costume had gloves. He would be able to dance with Cadet Uhura with only a minimal risk of telepathic contact.

"I am agreeable to such activity."

Spock danced three dances with the beautiful cadet and one with her Orion roommate in order to avoid the appearance of favoritism. The gloves were not as reliable a barrier as Spock had hoped. When he held Cadet Uhura close while dancing, their foreheads had accidentally brushed. Spock was nearly overwhelmed by the feelings she projected. She was fond of him, indeed very fond. It was not proper, but it was wonderful.

When Spock returned to his quarters that evening, his meditations were disturbed by thoughts of the beautiful cadet, her warm feelings toward him, and those marvelous shiny, black boots. The images and impressions haunted him for weeks.

* * *

Spock was not entirely sure when it happened, but his Friday afternoon routine changed. At first there was only himself and Captain Pike, in their usual booth at O'Malley's. They would have a beer or two and then Spock would leave. Gradually they were joined by Herb Jimerson, Pike's new assistant and Lucia Olmes, the Klingon Instructor. As the semester wore on, they had to abandon the booth for a table. Lucia's aide, Henri Bouchard joined them, as did Nyota Uhura, Gaila, and Leo Castellano, who taught Rigelian. Gaila had become Leo's instructional aide.

In the past, Spock would have excused himself from such gatherings. However, he found himself unwilling to leave anyplace where Cadet Uhura could be found. Sometimes he would even remain until the late evening when the jazz combo arrived. Cadet Uhura enjoyed jazz very much. Spock was fascinated by her emotional responses to the music. She would tap her fingers on the table, sway to the rhythm, sometimes even have tears in her eyes. Spock found her to be as complex as the music's improvisations, an enigma to be solved. His attraction to her was as undefinable as jazz itself. It was also becoming more difficult to conceal.

* * *

Cadet Uhura sat in the office they shared now, finalizing the list of names to be sent to Lady Amanda. Spock's mother had decided that the Vulcan Embassy Museum tour and high tea afterward should become a recurring event, happening once a semester whenever she happened to be in San Francisco. Lady Amanda wanted the students to feel that they were honored guests, so each would be receiving a formal invitation. Cadet Uhura entered the first and last names of each of Lt. Spock's special seminar students, including her own.

The late November day had been a raw one, cold and rainy. Spock poured himself a cup of tea and then one for Cadet Uhura.

"Thank you,sir."

"You are welcome, Cadet."

"Lieutenant, doesn't it strike you as rather odd that we still call each other "Lieutenant and Cadet?" The other instructors we interact with call their instructional aides by their first names."

"I have always strived to maintain professional decorum, Cadet. It would not be proper for me to address you by your first name, especially without your permission."

"What if I gave you permission to call me Nyota in non-professional settings?"

"That would be acceptable, just as it would be for you to call me Spock in such situations."

* * *

Most of the students had taken the museum tour the previous term. Amanda recognized them as they took their seats around the table. As a whole, the group's Conversational Vulcan skills had greatly improved. Amanda smiled at her son. Spock was proving to an effective language teacher.

However, Amanda was not the only one smiling at Spock. Cadet Uhura was even more beautiful than Amanda remembered. As she accepted a plate of honeycakes from Spock, she flashed a blinding grin.

"Thank you."

"You are most welcome, Nyota."

Spock's facial expression was neutral, but his eyes were smiling. Amanda did not miss this nor the fact that her son now called his assistant by her first name. Judging by the lifted eyebrow, Sarek hadn't missed it either.

* * *

"Most illogical" grunted Sarek as he and Spock wrestled the small, potted conifer in from the patio. Amanda was Jewish, yet here they were dragging a tree into the family room of their weekend house.

She laughed at them both.

"It's the most beautiful little Hanukkah bush I've ever seen. And it is a Grayson family tradition to have one, logical or not. However, I think it would look better over by the window."

Father and son shifted the tree to the spot that she indicated. Amanda handed them strings of blue and white lights, and a silver mogen for on top of the tree.

"My wife, you say it is a Grayson tradition, but I do not see you doing any of the labor."

"I have been busy with other things, my husband. Can't you smell the potato kugel and the almond cookies?"

"Yes, it is a most appealing aroma. Perhaps I was a bit hasty in my scolding."

"I forgive you. Oh..my cookies!"

Amanda ran back to the kitchen, leaving the two men to work on the tree.

"So, my son, how goes your second year as an instructor?"

"Much more smoothly than the first, due in no small part to my able assistant."

"Ah, yes. Cadet Uhura is quite gifted as well as charming. Have you decided upon her end of the term reward yet?"

"The cadet seems to appreciate jazz. I have been told that there are nightclubs strictly devoted to this music genre, however I have not yet had a chance to research them."

"Before your mother and I were married, I once took her to a bistro/jazz club on Ellis Street. It proved to be a most interesting evening."

Amanda had returned to the family room, munching on a slightly burnt cookie.

"The name of the place was Jacey's and it's still there. The evening was interesting because your father stepped on my toe and broke it while I was trying to teach him to slow dance."

"I believe that I adequately compensated you for my misdeed later."

"Yes, as I recall, you asked me to marry you."

* * *

Amanda was correct. Jacey's was still in business. Spock made reservations for the Saturday night before term ended. It would also be his 25th birthday, (in Terran years), not that he kept track of such things.

The Friday before the end of term was also the day of the Xenolinguistics department holiday party. Spock noted that the usual dress code had been relaxed for the occasion. Instructors and students alike were sporting Santa hats, antlers, and baseball caps adorned with mistletoe on fishing rods. Starfleet personnel were an innovative lot.

Spock had managed to avoid mistletoe during his time as a cadet. It wasn't until his second year on Discovery that it became a problem. Kissing his immediate supervisor Commander Tjiena had not been too unpleasant. She was actually rather attractive. However, it was embarrassing when he had to kiss his roommate Fred's fiance Petra. Spock thought this highly improper, akin to kissing another's bondmate. So, since the first of December, Spock had been very cautious, always looking up before choosing a place to stand.

After their last class of the day, he and Nyota made their way to the large conference room. Nyota brought a plate of coconut macaroons her mother had sent while Spock had some of Amanda's almond cookies. (Not the burnt ones!) They made the rounds, listening to everyone's plans for the holidays.

Gaila made an appearance about an hour later, wearing one of those dreaded mistletoe hats. She spotted Spock and Nyota over in a corner and made a beeline for them.

"Hi guys! Like my hat?"

She modeled it for them.

"I stole it from Jim Kirk! He had his eyes closed at the time, so he didn't notice."

Gaila giggled and angled her body so that the mistletoe was right over Spock and Nyota's heads.

Dr. Peng saw them first.

"Oh my, look who's under the mistletoe!"

This got the attention of the rest of the room.

"KISS! KISS! KISS!"

Peng laughed.

"Might as well kiss her Spock. They're not going shut up until you do."

Spock swallowed.

"It appears that we have no choice, Nyota."

"That's okay. I don't mind."

Spock closed his eyes and bent down while Nyota stood on her tiptoes. Their lips brushed very tentatively at first, then more confidently. This was much more pleasant than kissing Commander Tjiena. However, they dare not linger. Someone might get the wrong impression.

Spock pulled away and cleared his throat.

"Nyota, there is something I need to tell you. You have been selected to serve as a Communications Officer aboard USS Pasteur this coming summer. This is really quite an honor."

"Oh, Spock, I'm more than honored. May I assume that you recommended me?"

"Only because you have earned such a recommendation. And speaking of merit, I have finalized plans for our end of term celebration tomorrow night. We have reservations for..."

Spock was interrupted by Christopher Pike.

"Whatever you've got reservations for, kid, you'd better cancel them. Somebody has breached the Academy's main computer security systems. Your expertise is needed."


	12. Chapter 12

We interrupt this story to bring you the disclaimer. The author of this little fanfic does not own Star Trek, any of the canon characters, nor does she make any money. If she did, you would have been instructed on how to make your payment. We now return you to the story.

**Interruptions**

Spock was interrupted by Christopher Pike.

"Whatever you've got reservations for, kid, you'd better cancel them. Somebody has breached the Academy's main computer security systems. Your expertise is needed."

"Understood. I will be with you in a moment, Captain."

Pike gave Spock and Nyota a bit of space.

"Nyota, we will have to postpone your reward dinner until after the start of the new term. It seems that I am quite likely to be occupied for the next few days. I apologize for this."

"It's okay, Spock. I understand. You couldn't help it. I'll see you on Monday."

"Yes. Goodbye, Nyota."

Spock met Pike by the door and the two made their way to the Academy's main computer room. Pike kept giving Spock curious looks all the way there.

"So, Junior, you're not falling in love with your assistant, are you?"

"Captain, that would be highly inappropriate."

"Right."

Pike smirked. Once upon a time Spock would have said "I am a Vulcan. Vulcans do not fall in love."

* * *

Gaila returned to their shared dorm room several hours after the party had ended, minus the mistletoe hat and wearing a sweatshirt at least three sizes too big for her. Nyota just smiled. At least her roomie had not brought big, old whoever back to the room with her.

Gaila flopped down on her bed with a happy sigh, grinning from ear to ear.

"So, how was it?"

"How was what, Gaila?"

"The kiss, doofus. You finally got to lock lips with Lt. "Hot Stuff." I hope you appreciate my efforts on your part. I had to kiss Jim Kirk in order to get that hat."

"Like you really minded!"

"So, how was it? Does he taste good?"

"Gaila! Yes, I enjoyed kissing Spock. I'd like to do it again sometime soon, but it's not going to happen. You know the rules against fraternization, and Spock is a stickler for the rules."

"The rules are stupid. He's only what, three or four years older than you?"

"That's not the point. He's both my instructor and my superior. That means that the relationship stays professional, even if we both wanted it to be otherwise."

"Honey, I'm an Orion. I'm good at reading body language. Lt. Spock is definitely interested in you in a nonprofessional way."

* * *

It took three of Starfleet's best computer programers, Pike, Spock, and Ensign Nhegmi, four days to trace the breach to its source. Arliss Merton, a low-level civilian employee in the Academy Admissions Office had introduced a sophisticated spyware program that had gone undetected for weeks. Data was being fed back to a third party.

After intense interrogation, Merton revealed that he had been hired by a private firm on behalf of a defense contractor. They wanted advanced notice as to the types of weapons systems Starfleet was looking to buy. The Academy mainframe was a backdoor to the Starfleet master computer system.

Sophisticated equipment and truth serum revealed that Arliss Merton believed what he was telling them. However, certain details didn't sit right with either Pike or the top brass.

Deposits made into Merton's account were traced to a private consulting firm. However, it proved to be a sham corporation on Risa registered to an Orion named Harlesk. Harlesk was a known mercenary, selling information and services to the highest bidder. In the past, he had done business with both the Romulans and the Klingons.

The Risan authorities arrested Harlesk and seized hours of data transmissions. Fortunately, they found nothing that would have been of value to an enemy of the Federation. A crisis had been averted.

* * *

Nyota was a highly competent Instructional Aide. She gave the final exams for three of Spock's courses in addition to sitting for her own. Spock had been unavailable to give them himself. Tracking the hacker had put him way behind, so the two spent several late evenings together grading exams and final projects.

The evening before her trip home to Kenya, they finished up their work and ate delivery Chinese food in Spock's office.

"Thank you, Nyota. I was concerned that I might not make the deadline for turning in the semester grades."

"You're quite welcome, Spock. However, I should get going. My shuttle leaves at 0600 hours tomorrow."

"As it is so late, I shall walk you to your dormitory."

"Thank you."

Spock helped Nyota with her coat before putting on his own. The walk across the campus was brief. Spock made sure Nyota got safely inside, but he did not enter the building with her. Before she closed the door, Nyota gave him a quick hug. Spock did not return it, but he also did not pull away.

* * *

Spock's detective work may have postponed his dinner with Nyota, but it also got him promoted to Lt. Commander. Now that he was on a first name basis with her, Spock felt no hesitation about sending her a message to share the good news.

She texted him back with a synopsis of the lecture Dr. Bowen had given on tracing linguistic origins.

He sent pictures of the snow-covered Sierras, where he spent a week with his cousin's family.

She responded with images of elephants walking in an African sunset...

Somehow the semester break passed faster than it had the previous year.

* * *

It was the Saturday night before the spring semester began. Nyota had just returned to the Academy that morning. Spock checked his black dress trousers for lint and then put the gray tweed jacket on over the black silk shirt. He was almost ready to leave when his door buzzer rang. It was Christopher Pike.

"Ooh, look at you! Got a date?"

"It is not a date. It is a social engagement. I am taking Cadet Uhura to Jacey's bistro. We have rescheduled the end-of-term dinner that I had to cancel last month."

"Well, have a good time, Junior, but don't make any plans for this summer. You and I will be aboard the Excalibur, participating in battle exercises."

"Battle exercises?"

"Yep. We need the experience for the following summer, when we go to the Enterprise, Mister Science Officer. It seems that the top brass was very impressed with us. Well, I've gotta run. See you later. Have fun on your not-a-date!"

* * *

Spock found himself wishing that it was a date. Nyota took his breath away in a red silk dress that stopped just above her knees. Jacey's served excellent vegetarian French cuisine, including a fabulous crème brulee, which they enjoyed with a glass of sauterne.

The jazz band was excellent, playing some of the best fusion that Spock had ever heard. The intended purpose of the evening was a reward for Nyota's excellent skills as an Instructional Aide, so Spock had followed her lead in regard to dinner and dessert. However, afterward she had insisted upon dancing.

Spock had danced with Nyota a few times before, at various Academy functions, always in well-lit rooms and surrounded by friends and colleagues. But here at Jacey's they found themselves in a dark corner and among strangers. Spock held Nyota a little more closely than was absolutely necessary. She did not seem to mind as she rested her head against his shoulder. In fact, she seemed to relish the contact. Though Spock's mental shields were at maximum strength, he was sensing that Nyota still had a definite fondness for him. He certainly had a fondness for her.

However, Nyota's graduation was over a year away. Spock would not even entertain such thoughts, at least not yet. He did not even dare ask Nyota to wait for him.

Suddenly, both Spock and Nyota recognized another couple on the opposite corner of the dance floor. Lucia Olmes, the Klingon instructor, was kissing Henri Bouchard, her Instructional Aide rather passionately as they danced. There was no mistaking their encounter for an end-of-term reward. When the music stopped, both opened their eyes, only to realize that they had been caught. Olmes and Bouchard left the club immediately.

Nyota looked at Spock.

"They could get in so much trouble. Should we report them?"

Spock considered this for a moment. Olmes was headed to the Constellation at the end of the term. Bouchard would be graduating.

"I am unwilling to do so. It is preferable to merely encourage them to be more discreet."

* * *

On Monday morning, Spock and Nyota sat enjoying a leisurely cup of tea in their shared office. They had over an hour before the lecture. Just as they were getting comfortable behind their desks, Lucia Olmes knocked on the door.

"Might I have a word with you, Lt. Commander? Actually with both you and the cadet?"

Spock looked at Nyota, who merely nodded.

"Yes, this is agreeable to both of us. Perhaps we should insure privacy."

Olmes shut the office door and took a seat opposite Spock, looking very nervous.

"I haven't heard from the Faculty Disciplinary Board yet. Do you intend to report me and Henri?"

"Lucia, I would prefer not to do so, as you will both be leaving the Academy at the end of the term. Instead, I would advise discretion. Perhaps you should have a chaperone when socializing with Cadet Bouchard."

"Okay, Spock. Now, may I ask what you and Nyota were up to at Jacey's the other night? You two certainly looked cozy."

"Cadet Uhura and I were merely enjoying her end-of-term reward dinner. It had to be postponed due to the security breach of the main computer."

Olmes laughed.

"Whatever. You two looked like you were in need of your own chaperone. Hey, that's a great idea!"

Spock was obviously confused, but Nyota understood perfectly.

"Spock, she means that we can chaperone each other."

Spock could spend more time in Nyota's company without it appearing improper. Olmes and Bouchard would behave themselves in front of witnesses.

It was a most logical solution.

* * *

The semester passed quickly, with Spock and Nyota spending much of their free time in the company of Lucia Olmes and Henri Bouchard. They took meals, attended concerts, and went to Academy-sanctioned functions together. Often they were joined by Gaila and Leo Castellano.

At an awards dinner for the Xenolinguistics Department, Admiral Nogura made an interesting comment to Captain Pike as they sat sipping Scotch. The three instructors were all dancing with their own aides.

"Dr. Peng heads the happiest bunch at the Academy. These kids spend all day working with each other and then still want to socialize at night. It must be chemistry."

"Yes, Admiral I think that's exactly what it is."

They may have pulled the wool over Nogura's eyes, but Pike wasn't fooled one bit. He waited for Nogura to get himself a refill, then walked over and tapped Spock in the shoulder, whispering in his ear.

"Your plan would be a lot more effective if you all changed dance partners occasionally. I'll dance with Cadet Uhura for a while. You go cut in on somebody else."

Spock had no choice but to comply, so he tapped Bouchard on the shoulder. However, the entire time he danced with Olmes, Spock was glaring at Pike.

Pike merely smiled as he thought to himself "Junior, you are so busted!"

**TBC**


	13. Chapter 13

We interrupt this story to bring you the disclaimer. The author of this little fanfic does not own Star Trek, any of the canon characters, nor does she make any money. If she did, you would have been instructed on how to make your payment. We now return you to the story.

**Interruptions II**

Spock had to admit to himself that Pike was most likely correct. They had been a bit too obvious. If they all were not more careful, Olmes and Bouchard might end up being charged with fraternization. Spock and Nyota could conceivably be disciplined for conspiracy to cover up misconduct. Spock did not understand why Pike had not reported them all, or why he was actually helping them.

He decided to bring the subject up one Friday afternoon as the two made their way over to O'Malley's Pub, before they were joined by the rest of their friends. Spock really did not not how to bring such an awkward subject up with out admitting to some type of wrong doing. Pike sensed his discomfort.

"Is their something on your mind, Junior?"

"Yes, Captain. I do not understand why you have not reported a certain misconduct on my part."

Pike laughed.

"I've known about Olmes and Bouchard for months. So has half of the Board of Discipline. We've decided to slide that under the rug because Olmes is the best Klingon instructor we've ever had. She and Bouchard are both leaving at the end of the term. They plan to marry in the near future. It's an irregular situation, but Bouchard earned his position as Instructional Aide by hard work, not by sleeping with his boss."

"As to why I haven't reported you and Cadet Uhura, that's because it's been a long time since I've seen you this happy."

"Captain, I believe that there is some misunderstanding. The cadet and I are not involved in a romantic relationship. We are merely good friends."

"Sure, Spock. Whatever you say, Junior. Just keep telling yourself that. Ah, here we are at O'Malley's. Let's go grab our table."

* * *

Spring break plans were the topic of discussion at Happy Hour that Friday. Pike was going camping with a few buddies in the Grand Canyon. Leo Castellano was headed home to Rome. Herb Jimerson had family obligations back home on the Seneca Reservation in New York State. Henri Bouchard would visit his parents in Paris, while Lucia Olmes had vague plans to spend her vacation somewhere in Europe.

Nyota and Gaila were going to stay at the Academy and work on their thesis project, a comparative study of Vulcan technical jargon vs. Romulan. So far, their work had been impressive and would easily earn them the advanced degrees they were both seeking. Spock found the project fascinating and would have preferred to remain at the Academy to observe and offer advice.

However, he had promised his mother to visit her family five years previously, when he first left Vulcan for the Academy. It was time to follow through or risk her wrath. Spock already had a strained relationship with his father, he did not wish to upset Amanda. Spock would be boarding a shuttle for Rochester, Minnesota.

* * *

Spock's visit to Minnesota was more enjoyable than he had expected. He had not seen his Uncle Marcus, Aunt Marina, nor his cousins Jonathan and Jacob in years. Jonathan and his wife Becky had two children. Jacob, who had just gotten engaged, teased Spock unmercifully about his single state.

"Spock, there are all those pretty girls at the Academy. Surely there must be one to your liking."

Spock thought of Nyota all the time now, imagined spending all of his free time with her. He also imagined doing other things with her. Humans would call this fantasizing.

"There is one who would make an excellent bondmate, however it would not be appropriate for me to court her at this time. She is a student. Such things would have to wait until after her graduation."

"Well, don't wait too long, Spock. The good ones tend to get snapped up quickly."

It was the first time Spock had admitted it out loud. He would like to court Nyota. Just the possibility of it filled him with joy and longing. However, he was a patient person and could wait another year to do so honorably, that was if Nyota wanted him.

The trip Spock had been avoiding proved to be enlightening.

* * *

Spock returned to the Academy the Saturday night before classes resumed, convincing himself that he merely wished to check on the progress of two of his most gifted students. He found them in the Language Lab running parallel Romulan and Vulcan translations, arguing about subtle differences in meaning. Both were so involved in their work that they had not heard him come in.

"No, Gaila, that's not right. _Kahla-fish-ferek_ is the inertial dampening generator. _Kahla-fishek_ is the inertial damper."

Gaila rubbed her forehead. A headache was threatening to form.

"Ugh, Nyota, we've been at this too long. I can't hear the differences any more. Even Lt. Commander Spock would have taken a break by now."

"Yes, I would have."

Spock stepped up to the console where they were working.

"I suggest that it is time to quit for the evening, as it is 21:17 hours. Also, I suspect that neither of you have eaten dinner yet. Perhaps you ladies would consent to joining me at O'Malley's as my guests."

Nyota blushed as her stomach growled. Spock could probably hear it from where he stood.

Gaila was never one to refuse the offer of a free meal. O'Malley's served fabulous potato skins which all three had a weakness for. If he was really hungry, Spock could eat a dozen, with a fork, of course.

When the trio reached O'Malley's, they occupied their usual table. The pub was packed with instructors and cadets, all having one last night out before classes resumed on Monday. Rozzie the barmaid brought a pitcher of beer for the girls and a Guiness for Spock.

"Here you go, luv. Room temperature just the way ya like it."

Rozzie gave Spock a wink and a suggestive wiggle of her hips as she said this. He didn't seem to notice and excused himself for a moment to speak with another instructor. However, Nyota had such a tight grip on her beer mug that she nearly broke it.

Gaila couldn't help but giggle over this. She whispered in Nyota's ear.

"Calm down, honey. There's no way "Randy Rozzie" is gonna steal your Vulcan away."

"Gaila! He's not my Vulcan, at least not yet. Maybe someday..."

"At least now you're admitting that you want him. That's a start."

The girls' whispers were no match for sensitive Vulcan hearing, not even in a crowded pub. Nyota had just admitted to Gaila that she wanted Spock. Hopefully she would still be interested in a year's time.

* * *

Amanda sat at her desk in the Vulcan Embassy's Ambassadorial Residence. Her very busy son had not gotten back to her with the list of invitees for the museum tour and tea party. It was time to give the boy a call and jog his memory a bit.

When Spock answered the comm, he was sitting at his desk surrounded by PADDs and texts.

"Greetings, Mother."

"Greetings, Spock. You seem quite busy."

"Yes. I am having to re-write my final examinations. We have had some incidents of computer hacking in the past week. It is most unsettling. The culprits have concealed their identities well but not their activities. They somehow gained access to all of the language and computer course exam databases."

"That explains why I haven't heard from you. However, I still need the finalized list of students to invite to the tea."

"I apologize, Mother. I will transmit it to you when our conversation is concluded."

"Apology accepted, sweetie. Did you have a good time in Minnesota?"

"The farm was most relaxing, though I found it quite chilly. Uncle Marcus wants to know when you are going to claim your "stuff" from the attic."

"Marcus just wants me to visit. He doesn't care if I keep my "stuff" there or not."

Nyota entered the office with a sack of bagels and soy yogurt. She was fairly certain that Spock had been up all night and skipped breakfast. He nodded his thanks and pointed to the terminal. Amanda caught a glimpse of her.

"Good morning Nyota. Remind my son to send me the invitation list for the tea."

Nyota stood behind Spock so she could speak with Amanda face to face.

"Good morning, Lady Amanda. It will be more efficient if I send it to you myself. Did you and the Ambassador have a good time on Risa?"

"I had a good time, dear. Sarek found the "Economic Summit stimulating and the accommodations adequate." I'll be seeing you at the tea on Sunday afternoon, won't I?"

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Nyota placed a cup of tea on Spock's desk. Again he nodded his thanks.

"Okay. You two try not to work too hard. Live long and prosper, my son."

"Peace and long life, Mother."

Spock continued working between bites of his breakfast. He had five examinations to rewrite over the next few days. His first lecture of the day would take place in less than an hour.

Nyota just looked at him and shook her head.

"Can't you use last year's tests instead of working this hard?"

"No, Nyota. Many students are using my previous examinations as review questions. Also, I have covered slightly different material every term in the computer programming classes. I will finish this in plenty of time for our end of term celebration."

"Good. I'm looking forward to another evening at Jacey's. I'm borrowing this hot blue dress from Gaila."

"Did I hear my name mentioned?"

Gaila entered the small office, looking exhausted.

"Lt. Castellano and I have been up all night revising the Rigelian and Orion finals. Did you guys hear the latest? Someone hacked into Herb Jimerson's Instructional Aide account, which gives him access to grades and exams. Herb was on vacation, attending some sort of Native American ritual on the Oil Springs Seneca Reservation in New York State. They don't allow communication devices on ceremonial ground and Herb has hundreds of witnesses who can vouch for his whereabouts at the time of the hacking. It's just a rumor, but the big money is on Sean Finnegan and his cohort Jim Kirk."

Spock considered this information. Sean Finnegan had taken several advanced computer programming classes from him. Finnegan had never received less than a perfect score on any exam or project. It seemed unlikely that he would need to cheat. However, Finnegan was a known prankster and it was also possible that he might wish to sell the examinations and answers for money.

James Kirk had never taken any of Spock's classes, most likely because Spock actually expected his students to attend his lectures. Instructors whose classes Kirk had taken said that the young man was brilliant if a bit unconventional. Kirk had achieved a perfect grade in two of his basic engineering courses while only ever attending the first and final classes. Yet he never missed a session of Pike's military history or battle strategy courses. Cadet Kirk was an enigma, one Spock was glad he did not have to try to figure out.

* * *

At the tea party, Amanda noted how much more comfortable Spock had become in Cadet Uhura's presence. There was no touching or other inappropriate behavior, merely tiny clues that only someone who knew Spock well would notice. Someone like a parent.

Nyota silently pointed to the collar of Spock's jacket. It was slightly askew and Amanda's fingers had been twitching, wanting to straighten it. Spock nodded his thanks and perfected his appearance.

He passed her the honey before she asked for it and even seemed to know which of the pastries and fruit tarts would be to the Cadet's liking.

"They remind me of a couple married several years."

Amanda kept such thoughts to herself.

* * *

Henri Bouchard and Lucia Olmes thought Jacey's was an excellent place for an end of term reward dinner. Henri would be graduating in the morning. He had an engagement ring for Lucia in his dorm room and would give it to her after his graduation dinner with his parents. She would be headed to the _USS Constellation_ the following day to take her place as Head of Communications. Henri would go home to Paris, where he had been assigned to translator duties at the UFP headquarters.

Nyota watched them as they danced together, holding each other tightly. She and Spock danced a bit more chastely.

"Spock, they are such a cute couple. It's too bad they haven't been able to see each other openly. They'll only have a few hours to finally enjoy each other without fear of punishment."

"I believe that they will suffer no ill effects, Nyota."

"Not unless you count missing someone terribly as an ill effect."

Spock steered Nyota so that she could not see the door, as Olmes and Bouchard had decided to make their escape. Though they would only be in violation of the no fraternization policy for a few more hours, it would be best if Nyota had no knowledge of their friends' little indiscretion.

* * *

Fortunately no one else seemed to observe Bouchard and Olmes leaving the jazz club together or slipping into the Klingon instructor's quarters. Bouchard also managed to make his escape before dawn, in plenty of time to meet his parents' shuttle.

After the graduation ceremony, Spock spent the afternoon packing. He met Nyota, Gaila, and Captain Pike at O'Malley's for a light meal. The Academy was already fairly deserted, with most of the cadets on summer leave. Pike and Spock would be headed to the _USS Excalibur_ for a training mission which consisted of a series of battle exercises. Nyota and Gaila had been assigned to the _USS Pasteur_, a science vessel that the Academy used for training purposes. Three quarters of the crew were cadets on their first space mission.

After their meal, Spock walked the girls to their quarters, reviewing various Starfleet safety protocols with them all the way. Gaila excused herself at the door to their room and ran inside. She shoved her face into a pillow so that Spock could not hear her laughing while he and Nyota stood outside.

"You will exercise every precaution, will you not, Ensign Uhura?"

"Yes, Lieutenant Commander Spock, every precaution."

She gave him a very quick hug before entering her room. Once again he did not return it, but he also did not object to it.

* * *

The first few weeks of both training missions went extremely well. Captain Pike was very pleased with the crew's performance. The Excalibur had won seven of the eight battle exercises Starfleet had set up. He would have a pool of excellent candidates to select from for the Enterprise.

Just a few parsecs away, the USS Pasteur was investigating the damage done to Karis V by a meteorite. A group of colonists had planned to settle there in the near future. Some preliminary structures and utilities had already been established. Unfortunately they were right in the path of the falling debris. Extensive repairs would have to be made to the power plant and communication systems before the main group of colonists could come.

The away team reported its findings to Captain Perry and prepared for beam out. That was when all Hell broke loose.


	14. Chapter 14

We interrupt this story to bring you the disclaimer. The author of this little fanfic does not own Star Trek, any of the canon characters, nor does she make any money. If she did, you would have been instructed on how to make your payment. We now return you to the story.

**Interruptions III**

Captain Pike congratulated his crew on yet another victory. The battle exercises were going well and the assembled ships prepared to break their formation. It was time for each captain to debrief his crew, analyzing their strengths and weaknesses.

Suddenly a small trading vessel of Orion registry entered the area designated for the war games. This was odd, as a general message had been sent out, repeating on a commonly used frequency. It warned all those not participating in the war games to stay away.

Either the vessel had somehow missed those warnings or it was deliberately ignoring them. Worse yet, it was on a collision course with the _Excalibur_.

The navigator, Lt. Kenjockety deftly avoided the Orion vessel while the communications officer, Ensign Smythe attempted to hail it. He grew frustrated in the attempt.

"He's definitely receiving us, Captain. He's just not answering."

"Very well, Ensign. Let me have a go."

Smythe switched from his own broadcast to the comm pickup from Pike's command chair.

"To the captain of the Orion vessel, this is Captain Pike of the _USS Excalibur_ ….

* * *

Tharg was an independent Orion "trader," or so he listed his occupation on his documentation. In truth he was a smuggler who dealt in Romulan ale and aphrodisiacs. He had fired his assistant because the man was stealing from him at a rate that was considerably more that the usual. Tharg had expected a certain amount of product "shrinkage," but Thel had helped himself to more than thirty percent of the merchandise. It was a pity, really because Tharg had started to enjoy Thel's company.

Alone in his small ship, Tharg found himself in need of rest. He double checked his course and set the navigational console on autopilot. He drank a bit of Romulan ale, no more than a glass or two, (or perhaps five), to help him fall asleep.

Tharg awoke several hours later to the sounds of the comm unit screaming at him. He activated the button to receive the incoming transmission.

"...of the USS Excalibur. Your vessel is surrounded. Your presence in this sector is not authorized. Please respond."

Unfortunately, Tharg could not respond. His comm unit was broken, only capable of receiving transmissions, not sending them. Thel had been going to repair that, but hadn't gotten around to it before Tharg fired him.

What was he to do now? He had wandered into Federation territory. His sensors revealed the presence of six starships and he had a cargo hold full of illegal goods.

Tharg was drunk and not thinking too clearly. He wasn't far from Karis V, where he kept a stash of food and weapons in a dugout. He decided to make a run for it.

* * *

The _USS Pasteur_ was investigating the damage done to Karis V by a meteorite. A group of colonists had planned to settle there in the near future. Some preliminary structures and utilities had already been established. Unfortunately they were right in the path of the falling debris. Extensive repairs would have to be made to the power plant and communication systems before the main group of colonists could come.

The away team reported its findings to Captain Perry and prepared for beam out. That was when all Hell broke loose.

The _Pasteur_ was both a science and a training vessel. There were some seasoned crew members aboard, but most were rising third and fourth year cadets. Most of the time their performance met or exceeded the expectations of their commanding officer, Captain Roxie Perry. Unfortunately, that was not always the case. The cadet who was assigned to the long range sensors was having a particularly bad day. Ensign Hobbs had already been written up once the previous week for inattentiveness. His mind would wander when he was supposed to be scanning space.

Ensign Hobbs did not see Tharg's little vessel until the Orion was nearly upon them.

* * *

Tharg made for Karis V at his vessel's maximum speed. He had never come to a full stop, nor was he idling in space as the starships were. This bought him precious seconds and he was able to close much of the distance to Karis V while the _Excalibur_ turned about to give chase.

However, Tharg was also drunk. Too drunk too realize that he should slowed down when he made his approach to the planet, almost too drunk to see the small science vessel in his way.

The vessel did not see him until they had already begun to beam up their away teams from the planet's surface. In order to use the transporter, the deflector shields had to be disengaged. This meant that there was no barrier between the _Pasteur_ and the small trading vessel, no protection when Tharg slammed into the side of their hull.

* * *

Nyota and Gaila had spent the previous day working in the communications center on Karis V, cataloging needed repairs. After a good night's rest, they spent a shift reorganizing and restocking their stations in _Pasteur's_ communications lab. They had just about finished their work when the collision alarm sounded.

"Collision imminent! Brace for shock."

The two young women had only seconds to climb into a Jeffries tube and close the hatch.

* * *

The impact was centered mostly in _Pasteur's_ small cargo bay. Thankfully, no personnel had been in there at the time. There was also damage to the communications lab and to Sickbay. A damage control team in life support suits immediately set about sealing the hull breach, leaving Tharg's ship in place.

The team leaders from the various battle stations took muster of personnel in order to account for any missing or injured crew members. Ensign Smythe recalled that there had been two crew members in the communications lab, which had been damaged in the impact. He attempted to contact them but got no answer. However, their biotrackers indicated that both cadets were still alive.

Smythe notified the captain, who ordered that the communications lab be searched as soon as it was safe to do so.

Dr. McKenzie in Sickbay reported that two of his nurses were injured and that a patient and a nurse were trapped inside one of the small exam rooms. They would need assistance as well.

* * *

Captain Perry had issued a distress call and the _Excalibur_, already en route Karis V, was quick to respond. Captain Pike had previously served aboard the _Pasteur_, as had several of his crew, including Lt. Commander Spock. After consulting with Captain Perry and determining her needs, Pike ordered an away team to be sent to the _Pasteur_. They would help with search, rescue, and repairs.

Pike put Spock in charge of this team. The youngster knew every inch of the _Pasteur_ and his superior Vulcan strength might come in handy.

* * *

The hull breach had been completely sealed, so it was now safe to conduct searches of the areas around the impact. Most of the missing were swiftly accounted for, and the injured attended to. A joint team of engineers from both ships cut into the bulkhead in Sickbay, freeing Nurse Nordu and her patient. Both had sustained injuries and were transferred to the _Pasteur_.

Dr. McKenzie was doing an admirable job of treating minor injuries, but his facilities were just too damaged for him to perform surgery on those who needed it. Captain Perry contacted two other starships that had been the area as part of the war games. They were glad to be able to render assistance.

* * *

Spock assisted the team that was cutting a hole in the bulkhead between the cargo bay and the communications lab. He knew only that two crew members were trapped inside, not their identities. When a person-sized hole was finally achieved, Spock was the first to step through it. He scanned the room for life signs, finding two in the Jeffries tube, a crawl space designed to allow access to circuitry and equipment.

However, the heat and shock waves from the impact of Tharg's ship had sealed the hatch shut and jammed it. With two crew members inside in a confined space, it was too risky to use the cutting torch. Someone's head might be right next to the hatch. An old-fashioned pry bar would have to suffice. Applying all of his strength, Spock managed to open the hatch. He found himself eye to eye with Gaila, who seemed a bit dazed but recognized him. She gave him a weak smile.

"Nyota's in here, too. She's hurt worse than I am. I slammed into her when the collision occurred. She's been drifting in and out of consciousness since we crawled in here."

Spock was very concerned upon hearing this. Nyota had been injured. However, he needed to control himself and take charge of the situation. There was also Gaila to consider.

"What about you, Cadet? Do you need assistance exiting the Jeffries tube?"

"Yes, sir. I have some damage to my right arm. I think I broke it when I tried to close the hatch just as the impact occurred."

Gaila's arm was bent at an unnatural angle and bone protruded through her skin.

"I believe that your assessment is correct. As the _Pasteur's_ Sickbay has been damaged, you will most likely be taken to the_ Excalibur_ for medical treatment."

Spock had Gaila place her good arm around his neck and lifted her out of the Jeffries tube. While Spock and two others had been working to open the hatch, other rescuers had opened the bulkhead enough to allow a gurney to pass through. Gaila was placed on the gurney and taken to the transporter room.

Spock ordered another gurney and a back board be brought in and considered his options. Nyota lay unconscious two meters inside the Jeffries tube. The space was too confined for more than one person to enter. As he was both slender and incredibly strong, he was the logical candidate for a rescue attempt. He crawled into the Jeffries tube and had the back board passed through to him.

Spock inched his way to Nyota. She had bruises on her head and face, and one leg was bent beneath her. He eased her onto the back board and then lay on his stomach facing her. He crawled out of the Jeffries tubes backwards while pulling Nyota with him. Spock's progress was slow and careful, as he did not wish to cause her further injury. When he reached the opening to the tube, he dropped to the floor and had an assistant help pull the back board out. Nyota was placed on the gurney and transported to the _Excalibur_. Spock really wanted to go with her, but he had a job to do. He moved on to the _Pasteur's_ cargo bay.

* * *

Lt. Herb Jimerson was a tactical office aboard the _USS Pasteur_. However, Captain Perry had assigned him to assist the _Pasteur's_ small security force in investigating the vessel that had crashed into their cargo hold. Herb was delighted when Spock showed up to offer his assistance.

Herb had already determined that the pilot had not survived the impact. The man, who scans revealed to be an Orion, had been both crushed and badly burned as his small vessel impaled the _Pasteur_. Herb would try to locate some of the pilot's personal belongings so that a DNA analysis could be run and compared to the name on the ship's registry. Unbelievably, the illegal cargo had survived.

"Spock, fifty-three cases of Romulan ale and seventeen kilos of "Risan Fly" is all that this idiot died protecting. He injured nineteen people and damaged a ship. Admiral Komack is gonna have a cow because our war games were interrupted."

"I am more curious as to why he fled to Karis V and why he did not respond to any of our hails. Perhaps we should examine his communications equipment."

"Gaila and Nyota said they food a cache of food and small arms in a dugout not far from the communications station. Perhaps they belonged to our smuggler."

Spock and Herb spent an hour disassembling the remains of Tharg's comm unit. It was in very bad shape. A portion of the transmitter was actually missing, not just broken. Tharg would have received messages but been unable to respond.

Herb wondered aloud whether Tharg had made himself an enemy, perhaps a disgruntled partner.

Spock did not care to speculate on such things. Repairs to the _Pasteur_ were well in hand. She would be returning to Terran Spacedock with Tharg's ship still embedded in her side. Once the crew had disembarked, she would be sent to the shipyards in Riverside, Iowa for repair.

Spock returned to the Excalibur, trying not to appear anxious concerning the health status of a certain cadet.

* * *

Spock made a full report of his activities and the conditions aboard the _Pasteur_ to Captain Pike. Pike relieved Spock of duty for the rest of the day, knowing full well that the kid would head to Sickbay the first chance he got.

* * *

Dr. Ames sighed and looked at the young cadet on the biobed in front of him. She had had a very close call, skull fracture, broken ribs and clavicle, and punctured lung. He had repaired the lung and skull surgically and was keeping her sedated while the osteogenerators healed the fractures. This was a painful process and there was no need for the young woman to be awake and suffer through the pain. Ames checked her vitals and then felt eyes upon him. He looked up.

"Can I help you with something, Spock?"

"I was...curious as to Cadet Uhura's condition. She is both my student and my Instructional Aide."

Something in the Vulcan's demeanor told him that Cadet Uhura meant even more to him than Spock was letting on. However, Ames was not the type to pry.

"She had a serious skull fracture, punctured lung, and some broken ribs, but she's going to be just fine. I have her under sedation while her bones mend. She'll be out for several more hours, but you can sit with her if you'd like."

"Thank you, Doctor."

Spock took a seat next to Nyota's bed. Gaila was in the adjacent bed, asleep. He had carried a PADD with him, and pretended to be working whenever a nurse came in to check the two girls' vitals.

Spock did not realize that Gaila had awoken several times during the night, watching him watch Nyota.

"That Vulcan's got it bad!" she thought to herself, quickly closing her eyes again so Spock didn't discover her.

An hour before Alpha shift was scheduled to begin, Spock rose from his chair and made his way to his quarters in order to shower and change his uniform. Nyota woke up twenty minutes later, relieved to see her friend next to her.

"Hey Gaila, what did I miss?"

"Well...you know that Vulcan, the one that supposedly isn't yours? He sat next to your bed all night."

"You're kidding? All night?" Nyota broke into a wide grin. Spock was definitely interested if he was willing to risk being observed sitting by her bedside in Sickbay.

* * *

Nyota's third year at the Academy was a very busy one. She was taking more than a full course load, including graduate level courses from Oxford and the University of Nairobi, and still working as Spock's Instructional Aide. In addition, she stood duty watches in the communications lab and was everyone's communications officer of choice when they took the _Kobayashi Maru_ test.

Spock and Nyota grew even closer, close enough that they sometimes engaged in playful arguments. Both were quite driven to succeed and could be very stubborn.

Sarek and Amanda left for Vulcan in early November. There would be no tea parties at the Embassy this year, as his parents would both be instructors at the Vulcan Science Academy. His mother would be teaching Federation Standard. The irony of this situation was not lost on Spock. The admissions board of the VSA had considered his Human mother a "disadvantage."

Instead of the museum tour and a tea party, Spock took his twelve special seminar students to a Vulcan chamber music concert and then to Styvik's, a restaurant that specialized in Vulcan cuisine. The owner, however came from Poland.

Spock had wanted to linger with Nyota after dinner, but she needed to retire early. Jim Kirk was taking the _Kobayashi Maru_ test for the second time in the morning and had requested her yet again as communications officer.

Nyota and Gaila had a good laugh over this.

"Gaila, that goat-loving farm boy is nothing if not persistent. Doesn't he realize that it's a no-win situation?"

"I don't think he believes in a no-win scenario. He hasn't given up on trying to get you between the sheets since the first time he grabbed your boobs."

The water glass in Spock's hand nearly broke when he squeezed it. Spock cleared his throat.

"Nyota, am I to understand that Cadet Kirk has touched you improperly? Why did you not press charges?"

"He wasn't a cadet yet. I was on the recruiting trip with Captain Pike the summer before we started at the Academy, right after boot camp."

"I see."

Spock had never formally met Cadet Kirk, however he was definitely beginning to dislike him.

* * *

When Spock made his weekly subspace call to his parents, only his mother was at home.

"Greetings, Mother."

"Hi, sweetheart. What's new?"

"I will be taking Nyota out for dinner on Wednesday."

"Ah, your end-of-the-term reward dinner. Are you going to Jacey's again?"

"Not this time, Mother. I thought we might go to Wong's and then a concert afterward."

"Wong's as in our family's favorite Chinese place? Spock, this is a date, isn't it?"

"Yes, Mother. I intend to declare my intentions to court Nyota. She has also requested assignment to the Enterprise."

"Well, well, well. Good for you, honey. Have a good time and let me know what happens."

* * *

Wednesday was noteworthy, however it was for another reason. Cadet James Kirk took the _Kobayashi Maru_ test for the third time, only this occasion he was not defeated. Spock had to cancel his date with Nyota in order to determine how Kirk had cheated.

The investigation revealed a familiar pattern. Someone had gained access to the computer program via an Instructional Aide's account, just as had occurred the previous year when the examinations had been stolen.

Annoyed, Spock rescheduled his date with Nyota until after Kirk's hearing. Unfortunately, his plans were interrupted again by a distress call from Vulcan.

A/N: In the movie, I thought our logical and controlled Spock was just a little too annoyed at Kirk. There had to be more to the story. What do you think?


End file.
